A windfall of cash is coming to northwest Michigan this year thanks to the state’s Going PRO Talent Fund. Dozens of businesses in the region will receive a combined total of $1.7 million to help pay for employee training costs. According to a press release from Networks Northwest, which facilitates and manages employment services (among other programs) for the 10-county region, the money will enable 54 local employers to train 1,020 new and existing employees, including 70 apprenticeships.

The Going PRO Talent Fund “makes awards to employers to assist in training, developing and retaining current and newly hired employees.” According to the state, training funded by the program “must fill a demonstrated talent need experienced by the employer and lead to a credential for a skill that is transferable and recognized by industry.” Since it was launched in 2014, the program has provided financial support to more than 6,000 Michigan businesses and has supported the training and upskilling of approximately 170,000 workers throughout the state.

Per Networks Northwest, 66 employers throughout the 10-county region – which includes Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, and Wexford counties – applied for Going PRO Talent Fund grants this funding cycle. The 54 businesses to receive grants are listed below.

>$16,000 for the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Michigan, Traverse City
>$14,694 for Avon Protection Systems, Cadillac
>$42,100 for Bear River Electric, Petoskey
>$11,018 for Beards Brewery, Petoskey
>$16,000 for BioTech Agronomics, Beulah
>$12,475 for Boyne Boat Yard, Boyne City
>$43,965 for Cadillac Casting, Cadillac
>$11,942 for Cadillac Fabrication, Cadillac
>$1,950 for Cadillac Family Physicians PC, Cadillac
>$22,000 for Central Industrial Manufacturing, Harbor Springs
>$55,675 for Circuit Controls Corporation, Petoskey
>$14,000 for Cultured Ferments, Traverse City
>$14,000 for Dan Brady Painting and Wood Restoration, Traverse City
>$17,370 for Drost Landscape, Petoskey
>$7,790 for Elk Rapids Engineering, Elk Rapids
>$22,720 for Fiamm Technologies, Cadillac
>$52,750 for Graceland Fruit, Frankfort
>$41,190 for Great Lakes Energy, Boyne City
>$21,000 for Great Lakes Orthopaedic Center, Traverse City
>$1,195.00 for Great Lakes Packing Company, Kewadin
>$92,495 for Great Lakes Stainless, Traverse City
>$12,369 for Habitat for Humanity Grand Traverse Region, Traverse City
>$9,500.00 for Harbor Springs Excavating, Harbor Springs
>$52,170 for Honor Bank, Honor
>$10,000 for Hutchinson Antivibration Systems, Cadillac
>$28,820 for Iron Fish Distillery, Thompsonville
>$62,577 for Jervis B. Webb Northern Michigan, Boyne City
>$52,928 for M R Products, Copemish
>$15,276.00 for Michigan Scientific Corp, Charlevoix
>$58,500 for Moeller Aerospace, Harbor Springs
>$14,500 for Monarch Home Health Services, Traverse City
>$135,872 for Moore Mechanical, Honor
>$7,690 for Muscotts Painting, Petoskey
>$38,500 for Packaging Corporation of America, Filer City
>$4,195 for Paul Davis Restoration, Traverse City
>$10,071 for Performance Engineers Inc., Charlevoix
>$7,550 for Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery, Petoskey
>$7,000 for Pierce Electric of Northern Michigan, Harbor Springs
>$54,030 for Precision Edge Surgical Products, Boyne City
>$38,500 for Precision Plumbing & Heating Systems, Traverse City
>$6,197 for Promethient, Traverse City
>$105,453 for Rexair LLC, Cadillac
>$38,354 for Safety Net, Traverse City
>$15,415 for SEEDS, Traverse City
>$6,000 for Shaggy’s, Boyne City
>$44,639 for Skilled Manufacturing Inc., Traverse City
>$35,600 for Springfield Inc., Kingsley
>$78,109 for St Marys Cement, Charlevoix
>$16,164 for Tamarack Holdings, Traverse City
>$24,000 for The Highlands at Harbor Springs, Harbor Springs
>$16,040 for Van Dam Custom Boats, Boyne City
>$26,720 for Venturi, Traverse City
>$123,030 for Wolfline Construction, Boyne City
>$11,741 for Xpert Fulfillment, Benzonia

An application window for a second round of grants will open May 1 and remain open until May 24. Businesses interested in applying or learning more are encouraged to contact Northwest Michigan Works!, a program of Networks Northwest.