Jobs
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer creates new jobs program in Michigan
A new state program will offer 5,000 residents vocational training for a certificate or credential by 2030 – and help finding a job.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive directive creating the program on Monday at Oakland Schools northeast campus in Pontiac.
Whitmer said people need jobs in their own communities that pay well enough to support families and help build generational wealth.
The state’s goal is to have 65% of adults statewide earn a vocational certificate or two-year degree by 2030. Whitmer said when she took office fewer than 45% of Michigan adults had achieved a degree or certificate but this year that figure is 52% despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Not everyone is on the same path but everyone deserves a path to prosperity and dignity in work,” Whitmer said.
Oakland Community College Chancellor Peter Provenzano said Monday’s announcement helps Oakland County get closer to its goal of seeing 80% residents obtain a certificate or degree by 2030.
LaTasha Smith, a trained heavy equipment operator and an AFL-CIO instructor, said workforce development allowed her to create a new life after she experienced homelessness and significant depression.
“I stand before you a changed woman after enrolling in the skilled-trades program,” she said, adding that the training is real help that preserves families and communities.
The Northeast Technical Campus is one of four in the county, offering 17 vocational programs to the county’s 11th and 12th grade students, said Dean Paul Galbenski.
Students can graduate with a career-ready certificate or prepare for college. Garbenski said former students have transitioned from welding classes to being professional ironworkers helping build a Henry Ford Health hospital and building ships for the U.S. Navy. One grad is working for SpaceX. Automotive class alumni now work for automakers, he said. He said those are examples of why it’s important to invest in career and technical education, he said.
Zachary Kolodin, the state’s chief infrastructure officer, said building and maintaining the state’s infrastructure “requires real skill.”
Susan Corbin, the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity office, said the new program removes barriers to education and sets a goal of having a statewide workforce strategy by May 1, 2025. LEO will work with other state departments to create training and employment opportunities.
Corbin said LEO has strong connections to local businesses through Michigan Works! Offices to amplify training and employment opportunities.
Whitmer, who campaigned to “fix the damn roads” said the many orange barrels in construction zones are “simply a reminder of the hardworking women and men who are rebuilding the transportation infrastructure.
“So, I’m not gonna apologize for the orange barrels. I’m going to say ‘you’re welcome,’ ” she said. Since she took office 23,000 lane miles of road have been rebuilt and more than 1,600 bridges have been repaired or replaced, a distance equivalent to driving between Michigan and Washington, D.C. 38 times, she said. She praised the bi-partisan infrastructure law for providing $10.4 billion for Michigan projects, from the transportation network, water and sewer pathways, internet connectivity and electric vehicle chargers.
“Bridges and roads are not Republican or Democratic,” she said. “They are absolutely essential and that’s why this work matters.”
Oakland County Commissioner William Miller III attended Monday’s event in his role as International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324’s political director. The new program, he said, gives 5,000 more people a chance to find a valuable career, not “just a job.”
Learn more about the program online at Michigan.gov/InfrastructureWorkforce.
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