Labor director talks about Michigan jobs
Kyle Whitney
Issue date: 10/4/07 Section: News
North Wind Staffer Kyle Whitney sat down with Keith Cooley, director of Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG), to discuss the future of Michigan's economy.
The No Worker Left Behind initiative helps displaced workers with financial assistance for specialized training in different job fields.
NW: What brings you to the UP?
KC: A couple things. Number one, I made a pledge to the folks inside of the D-LEG-the Department of Labor and Economic Growth-that I would try to come and see as many of the employees as I could-it's a group of about 4,000 people. Many of them are scattered around the state and don't get a chance to see the leadership team. I think it's really important for them to see me and understand who I am face-to-face and that's a chance for me to see the day-to-day work that they do.
Also, there is a summit (the Upper Great Lakes Economic and Workforce Development Summit - http://www.jobforce.org/documents/Savethedate-2007UpperGreatLakesEDWFDSummitFullInformationandAgenda9-20.pdf). It's a group of the business leaders here, the Michigan Works agencies, the folks that are really involved in trying to find out, how we can make the economy in the Upper Peninsula and Marquette, in particular, begin to boom, in spite of the problems that we're having around the country and especially in Michigan. So I came to deliver a message about this initiative that the Governor has called No Worker Left Behind (NWLB).
NW: Can you talk more about NWLB and the requirements for participation?
KC: There is no age limit at the top. If you want to get a new job and if you want to get re-skilled for the new economy, you can do that. At the lower limit, folks essentially have to be over 18, out of high-school, not a full-time college student. In fact, I think the way the rules read is that you have to be out of college for two years or more in order to take advantage of the program.
NW: The NWLB literature refers to 'high-demand' and 'emerging fields' that will 'bolster the economic growth' in the state. What are those fields?
The No Worker Left Behind initiative helps displaced workers with financial assistance for specialized training in different job fields.
NW: What brings you to the UP?
KC: A couple things. Number one, I made a pledge to the folks inside of the D-LEG-the Department of Labor and Economic Growth-that I would try to come and see as many of the employees as I could-it's a group of about 4,000 people. Many of them are scattered around the state and don't get a chance to see the leadership team. I think it's really important for them to see me and understand who I am face-to-face and that's a chance for me to see the day-to-day work that they do.
Also, there is a summit (the Upper Great Lakes Economic and Workforce Development Summit - http://www.jobforce.org/documents/Savethedate-2007UpperGreatLakesEDWFDSummitFullInformationandAgenda9-20.pdf). It's a group of the business leaders here, the Michigan Works agencies, the folks that are really involved in trying to find out, how we can make the economy in the Upper Peninsula and Marquette, in particular, begin to boom, in spite of the problems that we're having around the country and especially in Michigan. So I came to deliver a message about this initiative that the Governor has called No Worker Left Behind (NWLB).
NW: Can you talk more about NWLB and the requirements for participation?
KC: There is no age limit at the top. If you want to get a new job and if you want to get re-skilled for the new economy, you can do that. At the lower limit, folks essentially have to be over 18, out of high-school, not a full-time college student. In fact, I think the way the rules read is that you have to be out of college for two years or more in order to take advantage of the program.
NW: The NWLB literature refers to 'high-demand' and 'emerging fields' that will 'bolster the economic growth' in the state. What are those fields?
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