New Apprenticeship Program Launches in Michigan, Aims to Boost Employment

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The Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan (WIN) in Detroit today launched MIApprenticeship.org as part of the Advance Michigan Center for Apprenticeship Innovation (AMCAI) initiative — a $4 million U.S. Department of Labor grant aimed at fostering and strengthening the registered apprenticeship network in southeast Michigan.

As part of the Labor Department’s mandate to create “five million apprenticeships in five years,” the new website supports the initiative by acting as a central hub for employers, individuals interested in becoming apprentices, and partners that want to support apprenticeship efforts in Michigan to gain access to the resources they need when creating, maintaining, or joining registered apprenticeship programs.

As part of the user experience, the website offers access to a range of features including:

•  Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator: A tool for employers to determine, by occupation, ROI in Michigan for employing apprentices as part of their business model.

•  Process Guide: An interactive, step-by-step guide for administrators that provides resources to develop, launch, and monitor a registered apprenticeship program.

•  Apprenticeship Hotline: A central phone line for anyone interested in apprenticeship to ask questions and receive answers in real time, and gain access to a network of support based on their immediate needs.

“We are developing a competitive, Michigan workforce trained for in-demand occupations,” says Michele Economou Ureste, executive director of WIN. “The apprenticeship website is the first resource of its kind to help streamline the registered apprenticeship process both for employers and those seeking apprenticeship opportunities, while also dispelling myths and stigmas that have hindered our state’s economic growth.”

Within five years, AMCAI plans to serve nearly 900 individuals, both new and incumbent workers, including 28 percent from underrepresented populations in high-demand industries including: health care, IT, logistics, robotics and automation, manufacturing, and many others.

“Employers will recognize the ease and benefits of employing apprentices to support their often-crippling need for workers,” says Economou Ureste, “while individuals looking to grow and establish new careers will realize another path to success.”

WIN is a collaborative effort between 10 community colleges and six Michigan Works! Agencies, in partnership with numerous other organizations, to create a comprehensive and cohesive workforce development system in southeast Michigan that provides employers with talent. WIN covers a 16-county area, including Genesee, Hillsdale, Huron, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Tuscola, Washtenaw and Wayne.

Led by the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) and WIN, AMCAI is comprised of six southeast Michigan community colleges — Henry Ford College, Oakland Community College, Schoolcraft College, Mid-Michigan Community College, Lansing Community College, and St. Clair County Community College — along with local and regional corporate and workforce and economic development partners.

For more information, visit www.MIApprenticeship.org or call 734-229-3559.