DBusiness Daily Update: New Statewide Initiative Empowers Internationally Trained Professionals, and More

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies.
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Man working at desk
The Michigan Global Talent Coalition will connect internationally trained or educated professionals with competitive careers in their respective field. // Stock photo

Our roundup of the latest news from metro Detroit and Michigan businesses as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.

New Statewide Initiative Empowers Internationally Trained Professionals

The Michigan Global Talent Coalition, in partnership with the Michigan Works! Association, Upwardly Global, and Global Detroit are introducing the Michigan Skilled Immigrant Integration Program.

The program will connect internationally trained or educated professionals with competitive careers in their respective fields, through tailored career support and hands-on job coaching.

The Michigan Skilled Immigrant Integration Program is intended to create an inclusive, thriving professional community in Michigan, where the skills and talents of internationally trained professionals are embraced to benefit Michigan’s economy.

“We’re thrilled to see the launch of the Michigan Skilled Immigrant Integration Program throughout the state,” says Steve Tobocman, executive director of Global Detroit. “Since 2010, over 50 percent of adult arrivals possess a four-year degree or higher. This program not only utilizes the full talents and skills of immigrant Michiganders, but also addresses the state’s challenges with an aging workforce, skills gaps in high-demand occupations, and lack of inbound talent.”

As Michigan experiences population decline and brain drain, the call for programs like the Michigan Skilled Immigrant Integration Program is critical, say the organizations.

Michigan Skilled Immigrant Integration program highlights:

U.S. Style Career Support: The program provides comprehensive support in U.S. style resume building and cover letter writing, ensuring that internationally trained professionals present themselves effectively to Michigan employers.

Coaching for Success: Job seekers enrolled in the program benefit from specialized coaching from Michigan Works! staff in interviewing techniques and networking strategies, empowering them to navigate the Michigan job market with confidence.

Credential Evaluation and Licensing Resources: The program offers resources for credential evaluation and professional licensing– assisting participants in overcoming barriers to employment that may arise due to international qualifications.

Job Placement Assistance: The program ensures that skilled immigrant professionals find meaningful employment in Michigan, and actively assists participants in securing job placements aligned with their education, training, and expertise.

To apply or learn more about the Michigan Skilled Immigrant Integration Program, please visit the Michigan Works! Association’s website or contact Stephanie Bradley at misiip@tpma-inc.com.

Grand Rapids’ Advantage Benefits Group Opens Southfield Office

Advantage Benefits Group (ABG) in Grand Rapids, a benefits consulting firm, recently opened a new office in Southfield to accommodate rapid growth and to better serve the metro Detroit business community.

The Southfield office is ABG’s third service point in Michigan in addition to offices in Grand Rapids and Traverse City.

“We are excited to announce the opening of our new office in Southfield, a move that marks a significant milestone for ABG as we continue to grow our presence and better serve clients across Michigan,” says Robert Hughes, president of Advantage Benefits Group. “This expansion enables us to bring our proprietary Advantage Analytics platform to Metro Detroit and provide better solutions for local employers.”

The new Southfield office will serve as a hub for the company’s operations in metro Detroit. The office will accommodate ABG’s growth and support the company’s hiring goals by tapping into metro Detroit’s diverse talent pool. ABG plans to fill the office with 10-15 team members over the next few years.

For more information, visit AdvantageBen.com.

Chrysler Pacifica, Jeep Wagoneer Earn 2024 Parents.com Best Family Cars Awards

Chrysler Pacifica and Jeep Wagoneer from Stellantis in Auburn Hills are being recognized in the 2024 Best Family Cars Awards by Parents.com, a source for caregivers. Rear-seat monitoring camera features for both Chrysler Pacifica and Jeep Wagoneer also earned recognition from the outlet.

Parents.com’s Best Family Cars 2024 recognizes a selection of new-model vehicles with high-tech performance, safety, and convenience features across multiple categories to fit a family’s specific needs, including minivans, three-row SUVs, two-row SUVs, and family sedans.

To arrive at this year’s list of honorees, Parents.com’s experts reviewed and tested 140 cars from a field of new-model vehicles that aced the industry’s safety tests. Twenty-two vehicles and driving systems were chosen.

Sales Xceleration Broadens Reach to Include Detroit

Indianapolis-based Sales Xceleration, a provider of fractional sales leadership, has expanded its team to include personnel in several cities including Detroit.

Sean Budd, with 20 years of experience, is the Sales Xceleration representative in Detroit.

Carhartt Reworked Resale Program Expands Nationwide with Mail-In Trade-In

Dearborn-based premium workwear brand Carhartt, in partnership with Trove, a branded resale company, announced it will expand its resale program, Carhartt Reworked, to accept mail-in trade-in effective immediately.

“This expansion represents another milestone in the evolution of Carhartt Reworked, giving hardworking Carhartt wearers across the country the opportunity to participate,” says Gretchen R. Valade, director of sustainability at Carhartt. “With the help of Trove, this new digital trade-in method underscores our commitment to environmental impact and getting gently used gear that isn’t done working into the hands of those who need it.”

The Carhartt Reworked program now will accept mail-in trade-in of select Carhartt products that meet the eligibility and condition requirements. Consumers who opt to mail-in their gently worn Carhartt gear will complete an online module on the Carhartt Reworked website where they’ll identify the product style and condition. Upon completion, the customer will box and ship their gear directly to Trove. Once received and confirmed, the customer will receive a digital gift card that can be used on Reworked.Carhartt.com, Carhartt.com, or at any Carhartt company store.

Here’s how Carhartt Reworked trade-ins works:

Trade-In Requirements: The Reworked program will accept trade-in of select Carhartt products including any item that has been produced by Carhartt in the past 10 years, and had an original MSRP of $50 or more. The product categories include outerwear, shirt jacs, bib overalls and coveralls, hoodies, sweatshirts, pants, and jeans.

How To Trade-In: Customers now have two ways to trade-in: Bring gently used garments to Carhartt owned stores (excluding Orlando, Fla. Factory Store) or send in via mail.

Shop Trade-In: Customers interested in purchasing reworked Carhartt garments can visit Reworked.Carhartt.com, and shop a wide variety of men’s and women’s styles.

With Trove’s ability to process millions of items efficiently via its Recommerce Operating System, Carhartt Reworked does just what the name suggests: reworks previously worn or slightly imperfect gear that isn’t done working and gets it into the hands of people who can put it to good use.

Ascent Partners with MSU Federal Credit Union to ‘Transform’ Business Lending

Ascent Platform Corp. in New York is partnering with Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) in East Lansing to “revolutionize” its business lending.

Through a pilot partnership, MSUFCU will test Ascent’s Loan Origination add-on for unsecured business loans and lines of credit, offering members a streamlined and efficient lending experience.

Ascent’s platform provides a digital application and approval process, leveraging third-party data to automatically populate applications and provide instant pre-approval or decline decisions in real-time. The platform also features an intuitive document collection portal and integrated instant messaging, facilitating communication and collaboration between borrowers and lenders.

The process brings numerous benefits to MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU), including a decrease in application abandonment rates and a reduction in the time and effort expended by lenders and associates. Moreover, both members and MSUFCU stand to gain from the enhanced accuracy of data, which drives a more robust underwriting process, ultimately leading to better lending outcomes.

“Ascent is well positioned to sit on top of the systems we have, automate many of our manual processes, and augment the member experience,” says Ben Maxim, chief digital strategy and innovation officer at MSUFCU. “Beyond business and commercial originations, we anticipate using Ascent for ongoing portfolio monitoring, which will allow us to approve business loans that we wouldn’t have in the past.”

Pennsylvania Clinic Partners with Troy’s HTC Global Services for Digital Transformation

HTC Global Services Inc. in Troy and the Pennsylvania-based Guthrie Clinic, a not-for-profit, integrated health care system, are partnering to enable Guthrie’s digital transformation initiatives.

“HTC’s partnership with Guthrie is a major milestone in our continuous innovation and digital transformation journey,” says Terri Couts, chief digital officer at The Guthrie Clinic. “HTC’s digital expertise complements our current team and will further empower us to enhance our patient and caregiver experience as well as strengthen the local community.”

HTC will be using its IT infrastructure modernization, Data & AI, and workplace digital transformation services to support Guthrie’s strategic business and IT priorities. As part of the multi-year partnership, HTC also will establish a local IT service delivery center to hire and train talent within the community and collaborate with Guthrie’s team to further enhance operational efficiencies. The new IT service delivery center will also be leveraged to provide IT services for other large healthcare systems in the US.

The new IT service delivery center is planned to be operational, with an initial team of more than 20 members, from mid-March 2024 at Guthrie’s Sayre facilities and is expected to double its capacity within the next six months.

Enrollment Open at Tuition-free Online Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan

Enrollment is now open at Highpoint Virtual Academy of Michigan (HVAM), a full-time online public school with Michigan-certified teachers powered by Stride K12. The open enrollment period — available to students anywhere in the state — opened on Feb. 22 and will continue into the fall.

“HVAM offers a high-quality education designed to help students meet their goals in both education and life,” says Mary Moorman, head of school at HVAM. “Our unique learning environment and personalized approach help students build toward a brighter future, and succeed on whatever path they choose.”

HVAM offers instruction that meets state standards and is personalized to each student. The school also offers in-person events and frequent touchpoints to help students stay connected in a digital learning environment.

HVAM offers dual enrollment opportunities, an Early Middle College program, and career-focused electives, as well as honors and credit recovery courses. HVAM also offers a transitional kindergarten prep program that introduces fundamental concepts to students, setting them up for long-term success.

To learn more about enrolling, visit hvam.k12.com.

Omni from Grand Valley State University Provides Adults with Pathway to Degrees

Grand Valley State University in Allendale, near Grand Rapids, announced a new delivery model for adults to advance their economic mobility and career opportunities.

Omni from Grand Valley State University combines a curriculum from a state university with the agility of flexible education delivered across GVSU’s expanding regional campus network and online, allowing adult learners anywhere to advance their education on a schedule that works with their life and work commitments.

GVSU’s Omni is designed to help Michigan residents advance in their careers through an educational experience that is flexible, fast, and trustworthy.

“Omni represents a new commitment to adult learners in Michigan, many of whom have previous college credits or work experiences that can be recognized to create a custom path toward a GVSU certificate or degree,” says Philomena V. Mantella, president of GVSU.

GVSU Omni is being developed and led by Chief Executive Kara Van Dam, previously GVSU’s vice provost for graduate and lifetime learning. Van Dam brings more than two decades of experience in adult post-secondary education from the University of Maryland Global Campus and Kaplan University (now Purdue Global).

Enrollment in GVSU Omni’s initial programs will begin in the spring of 2024 with more offerings beginning in the fall.

For more information about Omni, visit gvsu.edu/omni/.

Gesher Human Services Invites Metro Detroiters 45+ to ‘Recharge!’ March 11-27

Gesher Human Services in Southfield will be offering its Recharge! career development program for adults 45 years and older, on Mondays and Wednesdays from March 11-27, 10 a.m.-noon at its headquarters (29699 Southfield Road).

The program is being offered as a recent report from Pew Research Center shows that the older workforce has nearly quadrupled in size since the mid-1980s, driven partly by the growth of the 65 and older population. In addition, the earning power of more mature workers also has increased.

Recharge! will offer participants the opportunity to reconnect with their skills and interests, refresh their resume, restore belief in themselves — particularly if they are in a middle of life transition — and re-energize their job search process. The program requires registration and a $40 material fee, although scholarships are available to ensure there is no financial barrier to participating. To register for Recharge! call 248-233-4472 or go to the events page at geshermi.org.