Senators Stabenow, Levin Announce Support for New Job Training Initiatives at Henry Ford, Washtenaw Community Colleges
New Job Training Opportunities Will Prepare Michigan Workers, Whose Jobs Were Shipped Overseas, for New High-Tech Jobs
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin today announced support for new high-tech job training opportunities for workers, whose jobs were outsourced, at two Michigan community colleges. Henry Ford and Washtenaw Community Colleges will be able to design programs to retrain workers in new or updated fields, preparing Michigan workers with the right skills for the jobs of the future.
“For Michigan to be competitive in the global economy, it’s critical our workers have the right skills and training opportunities to help our businesses create the jobs of the future here in Michigan,” said Stabenow. “Henry Ford and Washtenaw Community Colleges are rising to that challenge by preparing workers, whose jobs have been outsourced through no fault of their own, with the skills to match the needs of emerging high-tech industries.”
“It’s essential that we help prepare Michigan workers for high-skill jobs, and these grants will provide important support to Michigan community colleges that have long been engaged in providing such training efforts,” Levin said.
Henry Ford Community College will receive a $15 million grant and take the lead in a multi-state manufacturing consortium with community colleges in nine states. Washtenaw Community College will receive $2.5 million in an individual grant to the college. The awards were made available through the Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training Program.
The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training program provides community colleges funding to expand and improve education and career training programs for workers eligible for training adjustment assistance because their jobs were sent overseas or were lost as a result of foreign trade. For more information on the trade adjustment assistance program and to see which workers qualify, click here.