Sixty-eight Oakland County businesses will share $1.8 million in Going PRO Talent Fund grants awarded by the Michigan Talent Investment Agency/Workforce Development Agency.
Oakland County employers – with the support of Oakland County Michigan Works! – were awarded the funds to hire and train 324 new employees, expand the skills of 1,100 existing workers and create 45 new registered apprenticeships during the year.
“The needs of our employers across the county continue to evolve and the state’s Going PRO Talent Fund plays a key role in hiring and training people with the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow,” Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. “I congratulate each company that will be receiving a grant.”
Since 2013, county employers have received more than $7.5 million of Going PRO Talent Fund grants from Oakland County Michigan Works! and the state. Workers will be trained and receive industry-recognized credentials in advanced manufacturing, software development, construction trades and robotic operations.
Area companies receiving grants include: FCA (Auburn Hills), Ruby + Associates (Bingham Farms), Technosoft Corp. (Southfield), ESG Automotive (Troy), BorgWarner (Auburn Hills), Schumacher Electric (Ortonville), Minth North America (Wixom), Red Level Networks (Novi), Urgent Plastic Services (Rochester Hills) and Henry Ford Health System (Waterford). A list of the companies receiving awards is attached.
“We had unprecedented interest in this program across the county,” said Jennifer Llewellyn, workforce development manager for Oakland County. “Given the demand for these available training funds not only here but across the state, I’m very happy so many of our companies received grants.”
Llewellyn said the Oakland County Michigan Works! team worked diligently to help employers apply for the grants.
“Working closely with our staff, the companies had a short window to complete their applications and it’s gratifying to see their hard work pay off,” she said.
Oakland County Michigan Works! provides talent attraction, management and retention services for businesses, and career management, training and placement services for job seekers at seven locations in Oakland County. Visit OaklandCountyMIWorks.com or call 800-285-9675 for more information.