Advocacy News – December 20, 2021
Tackling the talent crisis is a major priority for the Michigan Chamber, which is why we strongly advocated that the Legislature and Governor make a sizeable appropriation to the Going PRO Talent Fund when negotiating the Fiscal Year 2021-22 budget, which went into effect on October 1. $40 million was appropriated.
The Going PRO Talent Fund provides competitive grants to employers of all sizes and types across Michigan, allowing them to train and upskill new and existing employees to ease their workforce needs.
On Friday, the state announced its Fiscal Year 2022 Talent Fund recipients. It was announced that over 1,000 Michigan businesses will receive a portion of the $40 million available to support their high-demand, high-skill talent needs and help over 30,000 Michiganders.
Since the program’s launch in 2014, more than 5,000 Michigan businesses have received Going PRO awards to assist in the training, development and retention of over 150,000 workers, including new hires and current workers. Under the parameters of the program, training 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.
Although we were pleased with the $40 million appropriation, employer demand continues to outpace funding available. Moving into calendar year 2022, the Michigan Chamber will continue to advocate for additional dollars as the Legislature and Governor negotiate the use of American Rescue Plan Act dollars (commonly referred to as federal relief funding).
The full list of Going PRO Training Fund Awards can be found here. To learn more about the Going PRO Talent Fund, visit Michigan.gov/TalentFund.