$1.1 million in grants from the state’s Going PRO Talent Fund have been secured by Michigan Works Berrien, Cass, Van Buren for 16 southwest Michigan employers to train their workers. Michigan Works Business Solutions Director Mark O’Reilly tells us those employers will be able to train around 600 workers in the coming year thanks to the funds.
“Depending on what your company’s needs are, you would identify a training provider that provides a certain technical training that your staff may need,” O’Reilly said. “Then you would procure that training for your staff members. Once they complete it, you would provide certain documents to us, including an invoice. Then we reimburse you for the cost of the training.”
Among the recipients are Gast Manufacturing, Griffin Tool, Freedom Finishing, and Compton, Incorporated. The average grant is $38,000. O’Reilly says Going Pro has been around for about ten years, and in an average year, Michigan Works Berrien, Cass, Van Buren is able to help around 50 to 60 companies train 1,200 workers through it.
