Win the Race

In every community there are current job and skill needs among existing employers that need to be matched with a highly trained workforce. For example, a recent study of Michigan’s health care industry showed that up to 100,000 new, technically trained health care workers are needed to serve this sector. Michigan residents need to have tools and information available to help them better understand the jobs that exist today and which education programs prepare them well for these jobs. Michigan’s public and private postsecondary institutions also need to consider their contributions to preparing Michigan residents in the disciplines and with the skills in demand in their region.

RECOMMENDATION

Align Postsecondary Education with Economic Needs and Opportunities

• The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth must develop and make available by 2006 a more powerful and user-friendly system for linking job and occupational data with job/career information and guidance at the community leve
• The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth must organize, in conjunction with the postsecondary education community, a process for communicating and reporting annually the match between current and emerging job and occupation needs and the efforts and outcomes of postsecondary education institutions to meet those needs.

(Economic Benefits Work Group rec. 6)

News

• Michigan Opportunity Partnership Connects 30,000 Workers with Jobs; Program Reaches First Goal Ahead of Schedule, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth Press Release (April 26, 2006)
• Nearly $17 Million Awarded to Accelerate Health Care Training
• Region gets $5.9M for Nursing Training, by Amy Lane, Crain’s Detroit Business (August 15, 2005)

Web Link

• Michigan Opportunity Partnership Home Page

Related Legislation

• SB 553