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Hi. I'm State Representative Terry Brown.

Welcome to my weekly update, "Talking With Terry."

Recently the state House voted to expand the No Worker Left Behind program, which is marking its first anniversary.  This new $15 million expansion has been signed into law as part of the Department of Labor and Economic Growth budget.  The No Worker Left Behind program provides training for residents who need to learn new skills to make a living in Michigan's new economy.  Thousands of unemployed residents will be prepared to land good-paying jobs available right now in high-demand fields. The program provides up to two years of free tuition at any Michigan community college, university, or other approved training program. Participants earn a certification or degree needed in a high-demand occupation or gain the skills needed to start their own businesses.

More than 31,000 residents have enrolled in No Worker Left Behind since the state started the program with federal funding last year. Eleven thousand residents have finished their training but more than 9,000 Michigan residents remain on waiting lists. 

With this additional state investment, we can move more unemployed and underemployed folks off those waiting lists and into good-paying jobs.  In addition, the state has secured $44 million in new federal funding for the No Worker Left Behind program.  And part of the new state funding will be used for adult basic education, remedial education or other training that some workers need to prepare them for post-secondary study or new careers.  The second year of the program will also have a strong focus on renewable energy and green-collar jobs.

The new Green Jobs Initiative will support training for jobs in renewable energy industries including wind and biofuels.

The state will partner with employers and community colleges to create the training programs needed to help renewable energy job providers succeed in Michigan.

A new Web site, michigan.gov/greenjobs, will serve as a clearinghouse for information on internships and jobs, education, and training opportunities. The Green Jobs Initiative within the No Worker Left Behind program is another way to help make sure that we are attracting renewable energy jobs to Michigan – rather than allowing these jobs to go to other states. This effort will add even more impact to our Thumb-area communities' position as Michigan's leader in wind energy and key player in other renewable energy technologies.

To find out more about the No Worker Left Behind program, you can call Thumb Area Michigan Works at 989-635-3561 or visit www.michigan.gov/nwlb.  As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with any concerns or questions that you have.  You can call me, toll-free, at (888) 254-5284. Or, you can e-mail me at terrybrown@house.mi.gov.

Thank you for listening to "Talking with Terry."

Make it a great day!