Advocacy News – Feb. 2, 2023
With a new year and a new Michigan Legislature, comes a new round of budget proposals and negotiations. Policymakers and stakeholders have a fresh opportunity to purposefully and strategically engage in solutions to address the talent pipeline crisis that affects every industry in the Great Lakes State. With the governor’s next fiscal year budget proposal to be unveiled next week, the Michigan Chamber has been working hard to outline potential, although not a silver bullet, ways to help members continue to grow and prosper despite these workforce challenges.
One of the items the MI Chamber most recently signed onto is a series of strategic investments in needed talent development areas: the Michigan Skills Fund, expanded youth work experience and a one-time investment to the Michigan Works! Agency to help the organization continue to deliver transformational programs for the state’s workforce.
To garner support from lawmakers across the state, the Michigan Chamber, in coalition with the Michigan Works! Association, as well as other business and community partners, signed on to a letter encouraging the Governor and Michigan Legislature to consider the below proposals in upcoming budget discussions. As MI Chamber President and CEO, Jim Holcomb, said in the distributed letter, “Michigan businesses of every size, location and industry continue to face immense talent shortages and challenges. While there’s no one silver bullet solution, these workforce program investments are instrumental and can make a meaningful difference both now and down the road for employers and employees alike to grow and thrive.”
The memo, shared with lawmakers and the Governor’s office, outlines three strategic workforce development areas that will foster a skilled workforce and strengthen the state’s economy:
- $100 million over 3 years for a Michigan Skills Fund: Of the 500,000 annual projected job openings through 2028, 72% will require a high school diploma, post-secondary training, or skills certificate. This program will allow businesses, education and training providers, and Michigan Works! agencies to partner to provide short-term training opportunities to more than 20,000 Michiganders in high-demand occupations.
- $80 million over 3 years for Youth Work Experience: This program will provide high-quality youth work experience to students, exposing them to new career paths in high-demand fields, scaling successful programs like Grow Detroit’s Young Talent and launching similar ventures statewide.
- $30 million one-time investment for Michigan Works! infrastructure: Investing one-time dollars in physical and digital infrastructure needs across the Michigan Works! network will extend the reach of workforce services to more individuals and businesses.”
For questions or more information on these workforce development priorities, please visit www.michiganworks.org, or contact Leah Robinson at lrobinson@michamber.com.