Twelve Upper Peninsula companies are getting help with developing their workforce. The
Michigan Workforce Development Agency granted about $8.6 million in funding for skilled trades training to companies across Michigan, and about $340,000 of that is headed to the U.P.
The grants are being handed out through regional Michigan Works! agencies. From the Eastern Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! office, Precision Edge Surgical Products in Sault Ste. Marie will get $56,700.
In the Western Upper Peninsula, Ironwood Plastics will get $7,875 and Jacquart Fabric Products will get $15,750. Both are in Ironwood.
The Michigan Works! Job Force Board in the central U.P. has the majority of the grants; here's a breakdown. In Houghton, Great Lakes Sound and Vibration will get $17,325. In Escanaba, Delta Manufacturing will get $3,150. In Hermansville, Stewart Manufacturing will get $16,610. In Menominee, Anchor Coupling gets the biggest grant, at $129,150, and Enstrom Helicopter Corp. gets $21, 554.
As part of the Schoolcraft County Manufacturing Consortium, FutureMark Manistique will get $42, 525, and Graymont Western Lime in Gulliver will get $14, 175.
Finally, as part of the Delta County Rail Car Repair Consortium, Softek Car Services in Gladstone will get $10,442 and Softek Contractual Services in Escanaba will get $5,866.
Each company must agree to hire participants in Michigan Works! job training when they've successfully completed courses, or if the training happens on the job at the company, they must retain the employees after training. Jobs expected to be retained or added as a result of the program weren't broken down by company, but the statewide grant funding was calculated to create 771 new jobs.
Writer: Kim Eggleston
Source: Michigan Economic Development Corporation
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