Community

New local Workforce Development Program expected to help over 100 with barriers and be template to rest of nation

Written by Tanya Terry

A press conference recently took place at Flint City Hall to discuss a new workforce development program.

“The work that’s going to be done here will provide a template for the rest of our state, rest of our nation-about how we get things right,” Mayor Sheldon Neeley said.

Khalfani Stephens, the city of Flint’s director of economic development, gave the criteria one must have to receive up to $1,000 per employee and participate in the program.

They must live in the city of Flint.

They must work for a Flint-based company.

They must be employed full time.

They must be going to make at least $13 an hour.

“If you can answer yes to all those questions and that individual has some barrier to obtaining that gainful employment, or obtaining that promotion on the job to get that higher level wage-then they can apply for this program,” Stephens said.

Khalfani Stephens, the city of Flint’s director of economic development

The program is being made possible by a generous donation from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, as well as various partnerships.

The Kellogg Foundation, founded in 1930, is an independent, private foundation.

Quentin Messer, CEO of Michigan Economic Development Corporation, said there are really exciting things happening in Flint right now and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation was proud to be there. He said economic development, workforce development and talent development was a team sport.

“This is significantly important for one reason: talent, talent, talent,” Messer said “Any business person knows, any educator, the number one asset in Flint, the number one asset in Michigan and the reason why I wanted to come to Michigan was because of talent. We have tremendous, smart and thoughtful high character, high techy men and women throughout the Flint community-and this is going to afford them great opportunities.”

He also pointed out Governor Gretchen Whitmer had recently announced the Michigan Strategic Fund Support for the North Flint Food Market, a co-op based grocery store at the corner of Pierson and Clio Roads. The grocery store will bring fresh foods to a documented food desert on the North Side of Flint.

Messer said people in Flint know how to get up every day and go to work.

The Michigan Reconnect Program has already put 70,000 Michiganders on a tuition-free path to an associate degree or skills certificate to fill the state’s most in demand, high wage earning careers.

Messer said he planned to be in Flint a lot.

 

Quentin Messer, CEO of Michigan Economic Development Corporation,

“There’s a lot of momentum here, Mayor Neeley-his incredible leadership here, Khalfani Stephens and his team-and look, at the end of the day, it’s about people,” Messer said. “Economic development only matters because people matter-and we’re here to make sure that we at MEDC and supporting each and every one of you to make sure that greater opportunities are happening here in Flint.”

Jamie Gaskins, CEO of the United Way of Genesee County, said the United Way’s role was to try to take resources to pull together from Kellogg and other partners and invest them in partnerships in what he described as smoothing out the pathway for people to be successful in their workplace.

“We try to be a catalyst, but no one can do this work on their own,” Gaskins said. “It requires organizations that do the training, like Mott Community College. It requires organizations like Michigan Works!, that does coaching in the workplace to help employees work through the challenges they face every day.  It requires employers that are…open to have someone come into their workplace, be able to work with their employees during the work day and try to help them be successful in their space.”

According to Gaskins, a goal of the United Way of Genesee County is to help folks who are working hard with a hand up and not a hand out. Gaskins also said some barriers people face may require a financial investment, such as getting a car fixed, paying for a driver’s license, helping with insurance or helping to navigate a legal problem or challenge.

Jamie Gaskins, CEO of the United Way of Genesee County

“That’s what the coaches do is they help remove that barrier,” Gaskins said. “Sometimes it’s referring them to already existing programs like connecting them with a workforce development program at Mott Community College that has a wide variety of different training opportunities for people to learn and then excel in their space.”

According to Gaskins, during the first month of the program, they were able to help with $5,000 worth of resources to help in five specific cases of removing barriers to help people maintain employment. Gaskins said over the course of the program, over 100 people would be helped with their specific barriers.

“So the employees themselves, we can help them with up to $1,000.”

Gaskins said it was not just about the money, however, but about a relationship with a coach, talking through the challenges the employees face, coming up with different strategies to deal with the barriers and then being able to be successful in the workplace in advance.

Robert Matthews, associate vice president of Workforce & Economic Development at Mott Community College (MCC), talked about some of the training programs. He said many at MCC were involved in the work of getting people in Flint back to work and removing barriers.

“Individually it might be impossible for us to address all the needs a single person or a family might have but collectively we can absolutely do that,” Matthews added.

He confirmed MCC’s commitment to being an integral part in the solution.

“We know that in some cases the barrier that might prevent someone from getting the job that they want or from advancing in the career that they currently have might be an additional skill set or an additional credential,” Matthews said. “Sometimes it’s not always a degree.”

According to Matthews, MCC wants to make sure they can play an integral part along with the team that was assembled in ensuring people get those opportunities. Federal, state and private resources are currently available.

The program is being made possible by funds from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and brought to the community by a partnership with the United Way, which is partnering with the community college for the additional wrap around services. The coaching aspect is being handled by Michigan Works!. This coaching can include working on a family budget or managing another dynamic in their life that is complicated. The enhanced training referrals are the Mott Community College piece in the partnership. Other attendees to the press conference included grant recipients, Landaal Packaging, Luella Sherman-Genesee Packaging, MTA, Jody Kerbyson-CEO of Michigan Works!, Tonya Rak-coach for Michigan Works!, Joyce Sanders-coach for Michigan Works!, Jack Crawley-Plant Communications Manager-GM Assembly and Amiee Evans-communications-Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

The number is 810-232-2555 to get connected and register for one of the information sessions.

 

 

 

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