New connections help find jobs for trailing spouses

The 64 miles between Battle Creek and St. Joseph now have more than I-94 to connect them.

A new program, known as Connect Sixty-Four, is creating a partnership between companies across the region in an attempt to draw top talent to Southwest Michigan by agreeing to hire trailing spouses.

The program came about after the region’s top employers registered the concern that one of the top reasons candidates don’t relocate to west Michigan is because of a perceived lack of opportunity for employment and income for the spouse.

“With the changes in our economy in recent years, recruits need assurances that their spouses will have employment when they move,” says Robyn Rosenthal of Connect Sixty-Four.

Connect Sixty-Four was launched earlier in 2011 by WSI Inc., a Kalamazoo-based research, recruiting and staffing organization.

When a participating company makes a hire the trailing spouse is assigned to a career consultant who helps identify job opportunities. The Connect Sixty-Four partners agree to give the trailing spouse priority consideration for open positions. Participating companies get a chance to learn early about incoming talent.

The participating company pays the fee when service is as a recruitment incentive for a new hire.

Some of the larger organizations already participating are Stryker, Eaton, Kellogg’s, Kellogg Foundation and Whirlpool. KalSec, EPI, Battle Creek Unlimited and the Cornerstone Alliance also are participating.

“No other program out there has this level of buy-in from the top,” says Rosenthal.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Robyn Rosenthal, Connect Sixty-Four