LANSING – State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) 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.
"As we work to bring more good-paying jobs to our communities as quickly as possible, we also have to make sure that we are moving unemployed residents into the good-paying jobs that are available right now," Brown said. "This investment in No Worker Left Behind helps ensure that more residents who need to learn new skills to make a living in Michigan's new economy receive the training they need."
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 was recently signed into law. 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 study or new careers.
- Adds at least $5 million in tuition assistance to reduce the number of residents on waiting lists.
- 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 on a competitive basis based on their need to meet local, industry-specific needs.
- 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.
"Expanding the No Worker Left Behind program is a smart way to help thousands of working families get back on their feet," Brown said. "It's urgent to get more residents off those waiting lists and into training programs so they can support their families and provide the skilled workforce that our businesses 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.