Officials Call For Expansion Of State Skilled Workers Program

A state program designed to train people to earn a decent wage has added hundreds of new positions to the local economy - but the pace of the program has slowed. Some northern Michigan officials, business community leaders and employers are hoping that can change.

In this week's Northern Express - sister publication of the The Ticker - investigative reporter Patrick Sullivan looks at the success and popularity of the Michigan New Jobs Training Program, which has created over 500 local jobs. The program works by diverting employees’ payroll taxes from state coffers to a community college to pay for their specialized instruction in skilled trade industries. The program is meant to bolster local economies by creating employees who receive a better wage - and officials say it's been working in Traverse City. Companies like Electro Optics have grown from 36 to 86 employees since they started participating in the program, which was established in 2008.

“We do very technical work here,” explains Electro Optics Human Resources Coordinator Robert Blake. “We don’t expect our assemblers to come in with knowledge of photonics. It’s very hard to find those individuals in this area.” So rather than find them, Electro made them - with help from Northwestern Michigan College, which facilitates the training.

The trouble is that the program has reached its $50 million cap. That means it only funds new training when existing contracts run out, says Kent Wood, director of government relations at TraverseCONNECT. Because the the program quickly became enormously popular around the state, the bulk of the available money was claimed almost entirely early on, leaving everyone else to fight for the rest. Read more about efforts to expand the program - potentially adding many more skilled workers to the local workforce and helping area manufacturing and skilled-trade companies grow their operations - in "Help Wanted: High Demand For Skilled Workers," available to read online and in this week's Northern Express.

This week's issue also features a special Mother's Day tribute, with residents from across northern Michigan sharing inspiring stories and favorite memories of their mothers. The issue also includes a summer fashion preview, profiles of TC clothing stores Yana Dee's and Captain's Quarters, and a Q&A with The Danish Girl author David Ebershoff, appearing May 12 at the Traverse City National Writers Series. Check out the Northern Express online, or pick up a free copy at one of more than 600 distribution spots across 14 counties. And, stay connected throughout the week on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.