House Democrats recently introduced a plan to help the thousands of laid-off and displaced workers get retrained to compete in the growing global economy. The "No Worker Left Behind" (NWLB) plan will help more than 100,000 displaced workers by providing up to two years of free tuition at any Michigan community college and other approved training programs, and allow displaced workers to receive training for high demand jobs while still receiving unemployment benefits.
"As we work to create more good-paying jobs in Michigan, I want to make sure we're providing our displaced workers with the targeted training they need to move into good-paying jobs that are already available," said State Representative Richard E. Hammel (D-Mt. Morris Township), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Economic Development. "This $40 million investment is the best way to get our workers back on the job. It will also provide our businesses with the well-trained workforce they need to contribute to local and regional economic growth."
The $40 million in state funding for the project will be combined with about $37 million in federal funds that Governor Jennifer M. Granholm used to launch the program last year. The state funds will allow NWLB to train more workers and shorten the waiting lists that have formed statewide. Roughly 18,000 residents were enrolled in the program last year, but at least 11,000 workers are currently on waiting lists for the program.
Any person who is currently unemployed qualifies for NWLB plan, as does anyone who has received a notice of termination or layoff from employment. For those who still work, if their family's annual income is less than $40,000, they also qualify. Participants must be at least 18 years old, must not have graduated from high school in the last 2 years and must not be a full-time college student.