LANSING – A plan spearheaded by State Representative Richard E. Hammel (D-Mt. Morris Township) to provide training that will help thousands of Michigan's unemployed and displaced workers land good-paying jobs available right now in high-demand fields was approved unanimously today by a key House panel. The plan includes $40 million for the No Worker Left Behind program and $10 million for the Michigan Nursing Corps.
"My top priority is getting the workers of Genesee County into good-paying jobs now, and this plan will provide the training necessary to do that," Hammel said. "This $40 million investment in No Worker Left Behind will enable laid-off and underemployed workers to fill the thousands of good-paying jobs that are open in Michigan because employers can't find workers with the right training. Closing this skills gap is the fastest way to help Genesee's working families improve their lives."
The NWLB money comes from the refinancing of state bond debt, not from new taxpayer dollars. Through NWLB, eligible Michigan workers can attend a community college or university for two years tuition-free to upgrade their skills so they can immediately land good-paying jobs available in high-demand fields. The state money will be combined with about $37 million in federal money so that NWLB can serve more residents in its second year and address the waiting lists that have formed statewide.
Under Hammel's leadership as Chair, the House Subcommittee on Economic Development approved the budget for the Department of Labor, which oversees NWLB and the Nursing Corps. The $10 million for the Michigan Nursing Corps will help provide additional faculty to train more Michigan workers to fill the many good-paying nursing jobs available right now. Michigan colleges report that they do not have the capacity to accept all the Michigan residents who want to sign up to become qualified for these jobs.
Hammel has worked for months with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle and his counterpart in the Senate, Sen. Mark Jansen, to form a bipartisan agreement that puts these job-training programs on the fast track. Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm singled out Hammel during her State of the State address, thanking him for his focus on fulfilling the potential of the No Worker Left Behind program.
"We have to move quickly on these retraining programs to help get our Genesee workers back on the job and support the growth of businesses," Hammel said. "We don't have any time to waste on partisan politics. This money is the most worthwhile investment we could possibly make for our state's economic development."
Andy Levin, Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, said the plan that Hammel's subcommittee passed Wednesday meets the urgent needs of both Michigan's workers and employers. The plan now proceeds to the House Appropriations Committee.
"Chairman Hammel's plan will provide opportunities for thousands of Michigan workers to move into the good-paying jobs that are just waiting to be filled," Levin said. "I want to thank Chairman Hammel for his leadership and tireless work in convening a bipartisan workgroup with Sen. Mark Jansen to build consensus on the need to help Michigan's employers get the trained workforce they need to compete in the 21st century knowledge economy."