Monroe County Companies and Employees Benefit from Skilled Trades Training Fund

Four Monroe County manufacturing companies will receive $101,246 in grant funding to train their employees for in-demand technical skills under Michigan’s Skilled Trades Training Fund.

The Skilled Trades Training Fund provides competitive awards for employer-responsive training that enhances talent, productivity and employment retention while increasing the quality and competitiveness of Michigan’s businesses. It ensures that employers have the talent they need to compete and grow, and that individuals have the skills they need for in-demand jobs.

“The program’s success in Monroe County is due to the collaboration of the BDC with the Monroe Michigan Works agency along with SEMCA,” says Charlene Page, VP of Business Development. “We were able to work together as a team over a 4-month period to meet with employers and hold a training session to make sure everyone that was interested was ready to submit their application for funding.” Over $12.8 million was awarded this year and funding was exhausted quickly, within three weeks.

The training program was established in 2013 by Governor Snyder and the Legislature to help employers develop the talent they need to fill thousands of available skilled-trades jobs. The fiscal year 2016 funding is on track to create more than 3,100 jobs and retain more than 10,000 positions, with more than 350 employers taking advantage of the program throughout the state.

Please contact Charlene Page at cpage@monrecountybdc.org if you have any questions.