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Michigan Works! for Recruiting/Training — Michigan Works! is a statewide organization that can assist you with recruiting, screening and other hiring-related needs. With approximately 100 offices in 25 regions of the state, Michigan Works! offers free resources to companies to assist with their hiring process. They can help you screen through your job applications to make screening more manageable. In addition, training may be provided to those in need of skills, some are sent to school (using training accounts called scholarships locally)and others are placed in jobs to learn on the job via employer training (on-the-job training grants). Go to www.michworks.org to link up locally and find out if they can help your company.

Michigan Works! and the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth are leading two initiatives:

The Michigan National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) — the certificate is a nationally recognized credential that documents basic skills proficiency for the following skills: applied mathematics, locating information and reading for information. It is an effort led by the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth (DELEG) to respond to employer concerns that too many workers applying for jobs do not possess the basic skills required on the job. Through WorkKeys (see below) assessments that are a part of the Michigan Merit Exam, high school students now receive this certificate based on four levels of proficiency: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. All workers eligible for Michigan Works! programs are assessed for the certificate as well. The goal is to encourage employers to ask for this certificate from jobseekers to help demonstrate the importance of education stress basic skills proficiency. Go to www.michigan.gov/mincrc for more information.

WorkKeys — is a comprehensive assessment system for measuring the foundation skills possessed by individuals and those required of specific jobs. Instructional materials are available to help raise the skills of workers so they may successfully function in a job. Job skills are identified through a job profile (i.e. a job analysis); the skills possessed by people are measured through assessment tests. Manufacturers are significant users of WorkKeys for job profiling and using WorkKeys assessments as a component of the worker screening process. WorkKeys covers such skills as reading for information, teamwork, locating information, applied technology and applied math. Learn more about the system at www.workkeys.com. KeyTrain is an online instructional tool focused on the WorkKeys skills; explore it at www.keytrain.com to learn about its emphasis on work for the basic skills. WorkKeys is a product from ACT, the college testing people.

Apprenticeship Funds — A $5,000 incentive to establish a new “registered” apprenticeship is available to companies under the Michigan Registered Apprenticeship Pilot (MRAP) program. The funds are for covering wage and instructional costs ($2,000) and to reimburse the cost of related technical instruction at a college up to $3,000. The funds are provided directly to the company. The new apprentice must be in a household making under $40,000 or unemployed to be eligible. New hires and existing employees qualify. Contact your local Michigan Works! office or the Office of Apprenticeship, U.S. Department of Labor (517-377-1746) for more information.

Michigan New Jobs Program — provides the means to completely offset your training costs. Operated by Michigan’s community colleges, the program is designed to foster job growth. Essentially, the cost of training is covered by the state income tax paid by the new hires; they are simply diverted to the community college to pay for the training. There are several options available to pay for your training, including bonds set up by the college. One used by Lansing Community College establishes a “revolving fund” where the company pays for training and the college reimburses the company as the state income tax fund builds. Go to www.mcca.org to learn more and find a local contact for Michigan New Jobs Training Program.

Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) — The MEDC is able to provide assistance to the manufacturing community through a number of state incentive programs they administer. The availability of training grants varies and the MEDC can often assist expanding firms with various forms of assistance ranging from tax abatements to tax credits against a firm’s Michigan Business Tax. The MEDC is also able to provide assistance to companies when there is a need to provide or improve the public infrastructure necessary for a firm to expand. Since all projects are different, the assistance programs must be tailored to each company to meet their specific needs. It is important for the company to meet with their local economic development official to determine what programs are best able to assist them with their expansion plans. Assistance can only be provided before the project commences, not after it is underway. Contact the MEDC’s customer assistance line at 888-522-0103 to explore your options.