Ann Arbor SPARK and the Economic Development Council of Livingston County was awarded a $63,000 grant from the State of Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity – Workforce Development. The grant will be used to support the Livingston County Manufacturers Collaborative in developing manufacturing programs designed to attract, develop, and retain skilled laborers.
“Working with our industry partners and local employers to identify opportunities for economic growth — both for businesses and job seekers — is central to the work of Ann Arbor SPARK and the Economic Development Council of Livingston County,” said Phil Santer, senior vice president, business development, and Ann Arbor SPARK’s chief of staff. “The Brighton Chamber of Commerce played a key role in this effort to provide training that will advance the region’s manufacturing businesses and the workers they employ.”
Ann Arbor SPARK and the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce recently completed training in a statewide academy on a new tool, Talent Pipeline Management, which was created by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The two organizations convened the Livingston County Manufacturers Collaborative, an employer-led group dedicated to working on talent needs.
“We are pleased to have obtained the approval by the State of Michigan Workforce Development Agency to receive this grant for our newly formed Livingston County Manufacturing Collaborative,” said Pam McConeghy, president and CEO of the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce “The funding will enable us to further our endeavors to create a pipeline of talent for local manufacturers. We are thankful that this grant was made available for efforts such as ours, and for the support of Consumers’ Energy and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with the Talent Pipeline Management Academy initiative, a program from which we recently graduated. The grant is an important step forward in increasing the talent pipeline in Livingston County.”
The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity – Workforce Development awarded nearly $900,000 in grants across the state to develop and launch employer-led collaboratives in a variety of industries, bringing together employers, educators and workforce partners to help fill identified talent gaps.
About Ann Arbor SPARK
Ann Arbor SPARK, a non-profit organization, is advancing the region by encouraging and supporting business acceleration, attraction and retention. The organization identifies and meets the needs of business at every stage, from start-ups to large organizations. Ann Arbor SPARK collaborates with business, academic, government, and community investor partners. For more information, please call (734) 761-9317 or visit www.AnnArborUSA.org.
