August 7, 2008 – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced $265,400 in grants to create two new Michigan Regional Skills Alliances (MiRSAs), and expand one other to help ensure that workers get the necessary training to do the work employers need done today and in the future.

There are now 36 MiRSAs statewide representing a diverse group of industries, including health care, manufacturing, construction, hospitality and tourism, utilities, information security, agriculture and biotechnology, and giving all counties of Michigan access to a Michigan Regional Skills Alliance.  

"Michigan's economic transformation is moving forward with the help of the regional skills alliances," Granholm said.  "The results of this funding are two fold – workers get the training they need to get good-paying jobs and employers get the skilled workforce they need to compete in a global economy."  

Michigan Regional Skills Alliances are regionally and industry-based partnerships comprised of employers, educational institutions, training providers, economic development organizations, and public workforce system agencies  The alliances are designed to train job seekers for in-demand jobs in their particular communities. Start-up funding for MiRSAs is provided under the Workforce Investment Act through the U.S. Department of Labor.  The Michigan program is administered by the Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG), Bureau of Workforce Transformation.

"These partnerships have proven effective in targeting worker training for high-growth, in-demand jobs," said DLEG Director Keith W. Cooley. "Getting people trained and back to work to meet employers' workforce needs makes our communities stronger and Michigan more competitive in retaining and attracting new business."

The Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth is the state government agency charged with providing the skilled workforce Michigan needs to enhance and maintain its economy.  Enabling workers to acquire the skills necessary to succeed in today's 21st Century knowledge-based economy is central to Michigan's strategy for economic transformation, and is the foundation for Granholm's No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) initiative.  The NWLB initiative aligns all federal workforce dollars used for worker training into a unified workforce development strategy.

For more information about the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth, visit the department's web site at www.michigan.gov/dleg.  For more information specific to the NWLB initiative, visit www.michigan.gov/nwlb.  For more information specific to Regional Skills Alliances, visit www.michigan.gov/rsa .

The following MiRSA received a grant for expansion: