Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! Officially Launching 2020 Going Pro Talent Fund Grant Application Process
Since 2014, Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! has helped more than 100 employers in five counties win millions in training grants. More than 6,000 workers have gained news skills and increased the competitiveness of the region in the local, national, and global marketplace.
Maybe you’re thinking of succession planning…and how you can possibly fill your own shoes.
Or business is booming with new demands from customers requiring rapid upskilling of your work crew.
Perhaps like all businesses, you face growing pressure to change technology and the skill sets required to run it.
Either way, you want to grow and compete like never before. To get the job done, you need highly productive talent. And Michigan’s Going Pro Talent Fund is a powerful tool to help.
The Going Pro Talent Fund is a competitive grant that helps employers with the costs of short-term training to improve productivity and bridge the skills gap for new and existing employees. The only way to apply in our region is through Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! And the time to act is NOW!
To apply
You will work one-on-one with a Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! business services representative who will walk you through the process. Training is customized to meet each employer’s needs but funds must:
- Train full-time employees
- Lead to a credential that is transferable and recognized by industry
Last year alone, our region was awarded nearly $1.8 million to fund training for 52 employers. (See list)
The process is competitive, with extra points awarded to businesses with less than 100 employees and for training related to apprenticeships.
Applications are due October 1 and require well-crafted descriptions and documentation. Results are announced in December.
If you are interested in competing for a grant but are unable to attend an information session, contact Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! at (989) 631-3073, ext. 271.
BGT Aerospace Wins 2019 Grant to Hire, Train and Grow
Bay City-based BGT Aerospace was a startup military/aerospace business struggling to hire qualified employees. By working with Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works!, the company was approved as a federal apprenticeship facility and successfully won a Going Pro Talent Fund grant last year to hire, train and educate a new employee. With the additional staffing, BGT increased output, increased revenue, and purchased additional capital equipment to grow the business.
According to Garret O’Brien, managing partner and operations manager, Delta College provided classroom training, and a portion of the grant was used to help offset tuition and book costs – a key incentive when hiring the new person.
Another portion of the grant helped offset costs for internal training specific to BGT’s manufacturing process, including quality systems, process inspection, fixturing and set-up of machined parts, tooling and job routing.
“Our experience has been extremely positive,” O’Brien says. “We are looking forward to applying for an additional grant to bring on another employee and repeat the process to continue our growth and support manufacturing diversification in the great state of Michigan.”ced settings.
Congratulations to 2019 Going Pro Talent Fund recipients that were awarded grants:
- Water and Woods Field Service Council, Boy Scouts of America
- Advanced Tex Screen Printing, Inc
- BGT Aerospace LLC
- Cambron Engineering Inc
- Die Stampco Inc
- ESCON Group, Inc
- J & T Tool & Die, Inc
- Metal Sales Manufacturing Corporation
- Michigan Sugar Company
- Modern Machine
- Universal Printing
- York Repair
- RWC Inc
- Amigo Mobility International Inc
- B & J Tool Services
- Eagle Machining
- Aircraft Precision Products, Inc
- Town & Country Group
- Quality Air Service, Inc
- Alloy Construcion Service, Inc
- CareBuilders at Home
- Case Systems, Inc
- Freeland Steel Erectors, Inc
- Ingersoll CM Systems, LLC
- J.E. Johnson, Inc Mechanical Contractors
- Magnum Construction Company
- Sugar Construction
- Tannas Company a division of the Savant Group
- Three Rivers Corporation
- Isabella Bank
- J. Ranck Electric
- Mr. Chips, Inc
- AHB Tooling & Machinery, Inc
- Cech Corporation
- Duperon Corporation
- Endurance Carbide
- Fullerton Tool Company, Inc
- Hausbeck Pickle Co
- JCP, LLC
- Kapex Manufacturing
- Mahar Tool Supply
- Miller Mold Co
- Nexteer Automotive
- Pumford Construction, Inc
- R&S Cutter Grind
- Rock Redi-Mix
- Saginaw Products dba Cignys
- Sargent Docks & Terminal, Inc
- Turn One, Inc
- U.S. Graphite, Inc
- UMBRAGROUP, Thomson Aerospace & Defense dba Linear Motion LLC
- GE Insulation Co
