APRIL 27, 2010 - Michigan's next generation of Skills Alliances geared toward diversifying Michigan's economy and increasing job training efficiency that will benefit employers and workers geographically and by industry, were showcased today at a workforce Summit hosted by the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG). More than 200 employers, educators, economic developers, workforce developers, and community leaders attended today's event held at the Lansing Community College West Campus - MTEC. The theme of the Summit was Transforming Michigan's Workforce.
"These alliances create customized worker training and leverage the power of collaborative problem solving to meet employer workforce needs faster and more effectively than individual employers can alone," said DELEG Director Stanley "Skip" Pruss. "These next generation alliances will focus on critical job training for Michigan's next big economic opportunity - green jobs."
DELEG was recently awarded more than $10 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants that support Michigan Skills Alliances (MiSAs), including a $4.4 million dollar Smart Grid grant supporting the Michigan Utility Workforce Development Consortium and a $5.8 million State Energy Sector Partnership Grant that supports a number of green-related alliances.
"Michigan Skills Alliances help Michigan companies grow in Michigan, and make Michigan more competitive and attractive to new business," said Andy Levin, the state of Michigan's Chief Workforce Officer and deputy director of DELEG. "Our two new styles of alliances will improve our ability to meet employers' workforce needs through more targeted alignment with No Worker Left Behind training that is expanding the skills and career pathways of Michigan workers."
Michigan Skills Alliances are partnerships of employers, educators, workforce developers, and community leaders in a specific industry sector or region formed to solve complex workforce challenges.
The new alliances will be geographically-based (Regional Skills Alliance) or industry-based (Sectoral Skills Alliance) to effectively target the workforce needs of employers. MiSAs catalyze growth in the state's emerging green economy. Green alliances, developed as part of the Green Jobs Initiative, are distinguished by their focus on workforce needs in green-related industries such as agriculture, deconstruction and weatherization, solar, wind, biomass, and utilities.
The most important characteristic of a Michigan Skills Alliance is that employers have a forum to communicate their workforce needs directly to training institutions and other partners. By providing employers this opportunity, training is developed that truly meets the needs of industry.
The newest Michigan Skills Alliances are:
- The Michigan Academy for Green Mobility (MAGM) that trains engineers to work with advanced green technologies in the automotive industry.
- The Michigan Emerging Markets Skills Alliance (MEMSA) for Tool and Die focuses on upgrading the skills of tool and die workers in order to be more competitive in new markets.
- The Michigan Utility Workforce Development Consortium accelerates training pipeline activities to address a looming skilled worker shortage in the electric utility industry.
- The Water Utility Sector Alliance (WUSA), part of the Green Jobs for Blue Waters Initiative, spearheaded by Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr., aims to establish Michigan as the nation's center of water excellence by connecting research and development, business development and workforce development to create employment opportunities for Michigan citizens in the water utility industry.
On December 3, 2009, DELEG issued a Request for Proposals in support of the formation and implementation of Regional Skills Alliances and Sectoral Skills Alliances. DELEG's support comes in many different forms, including:
- Financial support of up to $250,000 to be expended over a period of up to four years;
- DELEG staff support to initiate, build, and maintain the alliance;
- Labor market research and assistance with interpreting employment data;
- Technical assistance by staff with workforce development expertise; and
- Learning networks with other MiSAs and DELEG initiatives.
Featured speakers at today's Summit included Andy Van Kleunen, Executive Director, National Skills Coalition; William A. Donohue, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Communication, Michigan State University; and Andy Levin. Multiple breakout sessions ran concurrently throughout the day and attendees had the opportunity to visit a wide range of exhibitors from educational institutions, economic partnerships, and training and certification organizations. Sponsors of the Summit included the Utility Workers Union of America's Power for America Training Trust (Gold sponsor); Public Policy Associates (Silver sponsor); and the Building Science Academy, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce, Metrics Reporting Inc. and South Central Michigan Works (Bronze sponsors).
Today, there are more than 40 Skills Alliances statewide that focus on diversifying the state's economy for the 21st century. The newest generation of alliances join Michigan's Regional Skills Alliances that represent a diverse group of industries, including health care, manufacturing, construction, hospitality and tourism, and biotechnology.
For more information regarding Michigan Skills Alliances, please visit our website at www.michigan.gov/rsa. For more information about DELEG, please visit www.michigan.gov/deleg. Follow DELEG at http://twitter.com/MIDELEGor visit the "DELEG" page on Facebook and Become a Fan.
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