Northwest Michigan Businesses Receive Nearly $1 Million For Employee Training

June 28, 2024

28 businesses in northwest Lower Michigan will receive a total of $906,348 for employee training from the second round of fiscal year 2024 grants from the state’s Going PRO Talent Fund. Those local employers will use the funding to train 171 new hires and 291 existing employees. The funding will also support 66 Registered Apprentices. Award recipients in northwest Michigan include businesses in multiple industries including construction, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, childcare, and nonprofits. Businesses applied for the Talent Fund grants with assistance from the Northwest Michigan Works! Business Services team.

"We are thrilled to see the ongoing support for our local businesses through the Going PRO Talent Fund," said Rob Dickinson, Regional Director of Business Services at Northwest Michigan Works!. "This funding not only helps businesses train their current and new employees but also strengthens the overall economy by ensuring a skilled workforce ready to meet the demands of our future economy. The success of these companies reflects Northwest Michigan Works' and our community’s commitment to fostering growth and innovation.” 

Statewide in the second round of grants for FY2024, more than 350 Michigan employers will receive a combined $17.8M from the Going PRO Talent Fund to help them train, develop and retain nearly 10,000 current and newly hired employees. A full list of Going PRO Talent Fund grants is available at, Michigan.gov/TalentFund.

For more information about applying for future Going PRO Talent Fund grants and to connect with a Northwest Michigan Works! Business Services team member, go to nwm.org/GoingPRO.

Including this awards cycle, the Going PRO Talent Fund has supported high-skill, in-demand job training for more than 210,000 Michiganders since its launch in 2014. Training must fill a demonstrated talent need experienced by the employer and lead to a credential for a skill that is transferable and recognized by industry.