As an increasingly dangerous number of business enterprises work around the clock to fill job openings critical their very survival, Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren is rolling out open enrollment on three free job skill training programs to help get people back to work. They’re calling it part of the Future of Work Grand Challenge.
That challenge is a $6-million national initiative designed to put more than 25,000 individuals, including 5,000 in Michigan alone back to work, and targets those who have been impacted by COVID-19 layoffs and closures. The goal is get those folks back to work over the next 24 months using emerging technologies.
The training programs will begin in May and will complete in 90 days or less. To be eligible to participate, you must be currently unemployed or under-employed, have access to the internet and a computer or smartphone and not have earned a college degree. You can also continue to receive your unemployment benefits while you are engaged in the training.
The Future of Work Grand Challenge was launched in June of 2020 through a groundbreaking collaboration between leading social impact organizations New Profit, JFF in Boston, XPRIZE in Culver City, California; and MIT Solve in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The challenge identifies and funds the most promising solutions to support a more equitable economic recovery and better meet the needs of low-income, middle-skill and under-served workers at the local level.
In December of 2020, West Michigan Works! and partners Michigan Works! Southwest and Michigan Works! Berrien-Cass-Van Buren were selected to participate in The Future of Work Grand Challenge.
Rick VanIttersum, Vocational Training Manager and Apprenticeship Success Coordinator at Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, says, “We’re excited to participate in the Future of Work Grand Challenge. We know that employers in our communities are in need of a trained workforce and this is a solution to fill that gap.”He notes, “In addition, these short-term trainings will give individuals the skills and support that they need to be successful in a high-demand industry. This is a tremendous opportunity for individuals looking to rejoin the labor force or actively seeking a new career.”
Training programs include rapid re-skilling for computer numerically controlled (CNC) machinists, customer service training and support for aspiring entrepreneurs or small business owners.
Individuals who are interested in learning more about any of the trainings or applying can visit online at this link: http://mifutureofwork.org.
With nearly 3,000 Michigan openings each year, machinists are in high demand. The average wage for machinists in Michigan is $41,930. The skills learned in this training can be used in other occupations including industrial machinery mechanics, machinery assemblers and fabricators, tool and die makers and several manufacturing apprenticeship programs. The 90-day CNC machinists training combines online learning with nine sessions of mixed reality training completed at a Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren service center.
Sales and customer service skills are used in many industries including health care, hospitality and banking. In Michigan, the average wage for sales and customer service jobs is $19.71 per hour. The 90-day training includes real-world team projects and feedback from a skills coach to develop the proficiencies needed to succeed at a job in sales or customer service.
Individuals who successfully complete the CNC machinist or customer service training will be connected with employers who have expressed interest in hiring participants from the program.
Prue Clifford, Vice President of Partnerships – North America, Practera, says, “We are really excited by this opportunity to provide the people of Michigan with a new way of developing the skills they need to jumpstart a career in sales or customer service,” adding, “We passionately believe that everyone, regardless of their age or background, should be able to access education and training that develops the skills they need to not just get a job but to succeed.”
For individuals facing significant obstacles to traditional employment, entrepreneurship may offer an alternative path to generating income. The pilot training will emphasize impacting marginalized communities facing significant obstacles to traditional employment. The entrepreneurship training consists of a facilitated online workshop and basic training program. Participants will gain knowledge of business concepts, create a business plan and budget, connect with micro-lenders and other small business support resources and develop important soft skills such as critical thinking and decision-making.
Michigan Works! of Berrien, Cass, Van specializes in educating, training, and employing individuals of all ages. They work with local businesses to find out what keeps them up at night and help them tackle the most pressing challenges they may face, including attracting and retaining talent. For more information, visit http://www.miworks.org.
New Profit Inc. is a nonprofit venture philanthropy fund that exists to help innovative social entrepreneurs and their organizations bring about widespread and transformative impact on critical social problems. They work to fulfill that mission with two approaches: 1) providing multi-year financial and strategic support to help a portfolio of innovative social entrepreneurs and their organizations realize their full potential for social impact; and 2) helping to build an environment in which all innovative social entrepreneurs and their organizations may realize their full potential for social impact. New Profit Inc. believes that just as entrepreneurship and invention have driven the nation’s progress, so too can they harness America’s spirit of innovation, vision, and optimism to help solve the country’s most pressing social problems.
