November 9, 2006
LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced the Microsoft Corporation has awarded a $250,000 Unlimited Potential grant to Michigan's "21st Century Integrated Workforce Training Program" to provide training for displaced workers in the Flint and Saginaw areas.
The grant will be shared with Career Alliance Michigan Works! in Flint and Saginaw-Midland-Bay Michigan Works! in Saginaw. Workers in these communities have been significantly impacted by plant closings and relocations as a result of a challenged automotive manufacturing economy.
"We are thankful to Microsoft for supporting our efforts to ensure Michigan has a 21st century workforce," Granholm said. "Thanks to this generous grant, hundreds of former manufacturing workers will now have the IT skills that open doors to new opportunities in today's global economy."
The grant, which is provided through Microsoft's Unlimited Potential program, is designed to encourage local residents to pursue lifelong learning and reduce barriers to work and job placement by providing information technology skills training through community technology centers like the Michigan Works! service centers.
"We anticipate that 400 adults will participate in this project in the initial year," said Robert W. Swanson, director of the Department of Labor & Economic Growth, which is administering Michigan's program. "Additionally, we will make the Microsoft Unlimited Potential and Digital Literacy curriculum available in all of the resource rooms in each of the service centers, thereby reaching possibly as many as 500 additional individuals."
The grant represents an exceptional partnership between the Microsoft Corporation, Department of Labor & Economic Growth, Michigan Works! Association, Career Alliance, Inc., and Saginaw-Midland-Bay Michigan Works! to provide an information technology-based integrated workforce training program in Genesee, Shiawassee, Saginaw, Midland, and Bay counties.
In February 2006, Microsoft announced a two-year alliance with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), One-Stop Career Centers around the country and committed cash, software and curriculum to further advance technology skills and training programs. In addition to Michigan, Microsoft Unlimited Potential grants have been made to One-Stop Career Centers in nine cities: Boston and Framingham, Massachusetts; Pittsburgh and Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Rockledge, Florida; Sunnyvale, California; Seattle, Washington; Chicago, Illinois; and Beckley, West Virginia.
Microsoft's Unlimited Potential program is designed to provide underserved populations with IT education and skills training through community-based technology centers around the country. On a global level, Microsoft has made a commitment to bring the benefits of IT education and skills training to a quarter of a billion people by 2010.
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