LANSING – State Representative Richard E. Hammel (D-Mt. Morris Twp.) said today that $15 million in state funding will be used to expand Michigan's No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) program, which is marking its first anniversary of training thousands of unemployed residents so they can land good-paying jobs available now in high-demand fields. Much of the funding will help community colleges meet the needs of these new adult learners.
"Our community colleges are doing a great job helping unemployed residents learn the new skills they need to get good-paying jobs that are available now," said Hammel, who oversaw the No Worker Left Behind budget plan as Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development.
"They are working with a wide range of folks – everyone from tool-and-die workers who went into the shop 20 years ago without finishing high school to people who just need a few courses to land a good job. We have to make sure our community colleges have the tools and resources they need to help this influx of workers get back on the job quickly so they can provide a good living for their families."
The $15 million in additional No Worker Left Behind funding is part of the Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) budget for 2008-2009 that Granholm Jennifer M. Granholm signed recently. In addition, the state has secured $44 million in new federal funding for NWLB to train more Michigan workers.
Through NWLB, eligible Michigan residents can attend a community college or university tuition-free for two years to upgrade their skills so they can get good-paying jobs available now. More than 31,000 residents have enrolled in NWLB since the state started the program with federal funding last year. While 11,000 have finished their training, almost 9,100 Michigan residents remain on waiting lists. The state NWLB budget:
- Designates up to $5 million for adult basic education, remedial education or other training that some workers need to prepare them for post-secondary work or new careers.
- Provides up to $5 million for community colleges and other public institutions that grant associate's degrees to increase their capacity, which may mean adding space, faculty or equipment. Colleges must make competitive bids for these grants based on their need to meet local, industry-specific needs.
- Adds at least $5 million in additional tuition assistance to reduce the number of residents on waiting lists.
- Requires DLEG to provide education and training to as many federal food stamp recipients as possible in order to obtain matching federal funds and to spend the training money in such a way as to maximize financial contributions from federal, private and local sources.
"Investing in our workers must be a top priority right now as we support our working families and get our economy moving in the right direction," Hammel said. "Supporting our community colleges ensures that while we work to attract more good-paying jobs, we also are moving workers into the good jobs available now and providing our businesses with the high-quality workers they need."
To find out if they are eligible for the No Worker Left Behind program, unemployed or underemployed Michigan residents should call their local Michigan Works Agency or visit www.michigan.gov/nwlb.