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Morgan was referred to Michigan Works via his father who had heard that Michigan Works! might be able to assist Morgan with going back to school to complete his high school diploma. Morgan was a high school dropout and only wanted to work, with no real desire to finish high school and get his diploma. Michigan Works! Youth Career Advisor Jeanie Flory reached out to Morgan and set up a few appointments to go over what Michigan Works and the WIOA Youth program could offer. One of Morgan's barriers was that he no longer lived at home and needed assistance with paying rent. His Career Advisor was able to assist with one month's rent so that Morgan could focus on his studies for school and would not have to work every day. In addition, his Advisor was able to assist with auto repairs to help get him back and forth to school. Another barrier that Morgan had was that he needed a computer to help him finish his studies and his Advisor was able to loan him a computer so he could work on his school work while continuing to work his job. Thanks to the assistance from Michigan Works! and the WIOA Out-of-School Youth program, Morgan was able to complete high school, graduate with his class, and to this day he continues to work 40+ hours a week at $16 an hour. Morgan learned that by completing high school, he will be able to get farther ahead in life. His father, very thankful for the program, reached out and thanked Jeanie for “riding” Morgan all the time to stay on his studies, because if she hadn’t he wouldn’t have graduated.

Working with Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium, M&M Excavating was awarded $88,000 to train 68 existing employees in “Leadership, Mindset, Teambuilding” training provided by PCS Global. M&M Chief Financial Officer Brandie Meisner says, “Investing in "soft skills" training through our partnership with the Going PRO Training Grant continues to improve the working environment at M&M, resulting in safer, more productive jobsites. But even greater than the corporate impact are the stories of improving personal relationships & work-life balance.” “Soft Skills training is often overlooked in the construction trades, focusing instead on technical training. However, our industry demands more than technical skills to ensure safe, productive job sites,” she continues. “The daily life of a construction worker includes: demand for accuracy & efficiency, dangerous work environments, tight deadlines, long hours, and exposure to intense weather. Soft skills are not always inherent. An individuals’ environment, culture, exposure, trauma and education, play a role in their own natural tendencies & behaviors. Understanding these tendencies and acknowledging similarities & differences with the tendencies of others is a critical first step in soft skills development.” Prior to the training, employees took online assessments to determine their Behavior Style Profile (BSP). During the training they were introduced to their natural tendencies and how those tendencies shift during times of stress or changes in environment. Trainees were then exposed to the nuances of different styles and there characteristics, along with the best approaches to relating to others. This understanding is the basis for effective communication. M&M Excavating recognizes that improved communication ultimately leads to improved conflict resolution and stress management skills; skills that are critical & must also be developed to maximize our healthy workforce. Trainees valued the training as well, with feedback including: “I have noticed a huge change in the way a couple foreman run their sites. One in particular has really changed his approach with his crew and I see nothing but a positive change on his site.” “[After the training] I have noticed even talking to one another has been easier. A lot less stressful conversations even with people who haven't taken this training. Happier home and work life.” “I learned how to recognize other behavioral styles and how to better communicate with them as well as gained insight into my own personal behavioral styles and the different ways that I can develop both professionally and personally.” “This training was needed to help our company’s management staff learn to work more fluidly as a team and how we can better communicate with people we come in contact with. I feel that our company is able to more effectively communicate and work together to achieve goals. Also I feel the biggest impact for me has been at home in my ability to understand and communicate with my wife and family.” “I believe the training was of a benefit for me because it provided me perspective of the behaviors of those I work with in relation to how best to work to our mutual strengths to have a strong team, which in turn will surely benefit the company as a whole.” “The training was needed because in this industry this sort of thing is rarely talked about. “Soft” skills are not a focus. I truly believe that this training will not only improve the culture and the workplace environment. The employees trained can take these skills home with them to improve and strengthen home life as well. M&M Excavating benefited from the training through team growth, better communication abilities, and learning how individuals throughout the company respond to different leadership styles and communication tactics. The management team also benefited by learning what makes an ideal team player. How managers may fall short or what they can work on. As well as what to look for in operators and labors that we may want to add to our core group as well as who we may want to cut ties with because they are dragging the team down.”

Shane was working as a mechanic, but due to Covid-19 his employer had to layoff staff. Shane really wanted to take this opportunity to return to the trucking industry, as he was familiar with trucking from past employment and decided he wanted to make a career of it. Dislocated from his prior position, Shane contacted Michigan Works! to try to get help with his unemployment benefits and hopefully find a job with many local opportunities. After speaking with Michigan Works! Career Advisor, Amanda Pauly, Shane learned about available training funds and that he may be able to pursue his CDL license without going into training debt. Michigan Works! staff helped Shane complete the paperwork, making the process easy. Thanks to Michigan Works!, Shane was able get his tuition paid for at Road Warriors and within 4 weeks, Shane had completed his course and received his CDL-A. Once licensed, Michigan Works! provided Shane with job referrals and within a week he had secured a full-time position with a local employer! Shane was thankful for the help he received from Michigan Works! He states he would recommend our services and was happy that we were available when he had any questions, which made things much easier. Shane is now investing further in his career and pursuing additional endorsements as well.

Moran Iron Works, located in Onaway MI, has worked consistently with Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium over the past few years and has been a key employer in the MiCareerQuest Northeast Career Exploration event. Human Resource Manager, Keri Sheer, contacted Michigan Works! seeking training to help improve quality, production and increase efficiencies. Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium worked with Moran Iron Works to provide an Incumbent Worker Training, to fund project management training for two existing employees with the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center. Thanks to the funding assistance, Moran's was able to complete the training during the pandemic, setting themselves up to be more competitive in the industry. Moran's reports that the Applied Project Management Training was effective and rewarding, bringing project managers from other backgrounds together to share knowledge and experience. The training offered multiple tools in various phases that their Project Management department can utilize and it reinforced concepts of scope approval and change orders (which the department has been working diligently on). This allows the Project Managers to confidently address in discussions with customers.

With the help of Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium, Liebner Enterprises (DBA US Ski Poles) received a $1,330 Going PRO Talent Fund award to train 1 employee. “Our employee/trainee Brady has a BA in Journalism and we wanted to expand these skills into the graphic domain for marketing purposes. The Adobe Illustrator course components provided tools to enable Brady to be more versatile,” states US Ski Poles’ Manager Roger Liebner. “Thanks to the Going PRO Talent Fund award, Brady acquired the tools needed to enhance our website and marketing materials.” Brady Hebert, US Ski Poles’ Graphics Specialist, received training in Adobe Illustrator and reported, “The training was well done and provided me with the basic skills needed to use the software.” After completing the 3-day course, Brady’s hourly wages increased from $12 to $14 per hour.

Line 45 was founded by in 2014 to help small and medium-sized companies use technology to make informed business decisions and work more efficiently. They provide custom software development focusing on web and mobile technologies with a specialization in geospatial software. Line 45 takes a proactive approach toward employee development because they are a consulting company and consulting is inherently a thought-based industry. Gaining new knowledge in technical and management areas helps them better acquire and serve new clients. Line 45 of Gaylord was awarded $1,350 in Going PRO Talent Funds to train 1 employee, Jessica Kane, in how to configure a base deployment for Esri's ArcGIS Enterprise platform. The training was provided by Esri. Jessica has been with Line 45 for 5 years. She started off as a Business and GIS Analyst and now is a Project Manager and GIS Developer. After this training, Line 45 expects to give her a 10% raise this year. The training helped Jessica gain knowledge in Esri's ArcGIS Enterprise system, which will help her work with clients (state agencies and other organizations) that use Esri software to implement more streamlined information management systems. Line 45 expects this training will help them expand their current service offerings to both current and new clients. In addition, they train to retain. Line 45 recognizes that good talent wants to get something back from work and feel appreciated, therefore training their staff helps them develop as individuals, making them more likely to stay highly motivated and stay engaged with their company. Management points out that feeling empowered helps their team do better work and have a more positive attitude, which is good for them and reflects well on the entire organization. Jessica states, “The Esri training I was table to attend thanks to the Going PRO program will be invaluable to my work at Line 45. It will allow me to deploy enterprise GIS systems for clients who have complex or strict data management policies.”

Monica Alexander was taking accelerated courses at Alpena Community College, which included the transition from LPN to RN. Her expected graduation date was 12/21, but she was worried that wasn't going to happen because she was having difficulties trying to cover all the costs included. Monica came to Michigan Works! to see if they could help. Utilizing WIOA Adult funds, Michigan Works! was able to help Monica pay for her tuition costs, books, required clothing, and laptop replacement. Thanks to the assistance Michigan Works! was able to provide, Monica has so far completed her LPN portion of training on 3/26/21. Monica has what it takes to work hard and plans to continue to complete her goals of becoming an RN. "Thank you so much for everything!," says Monica. "You have been such an amazing help to me during this journey. I appreciate everything."

Martha LaPoint was working but not getting enough hours and not using her skills to help people the way she knew she could. She was looking for a more rewarding career, so she came to Michigan Works! for guidance. Michigan Works staff helped Martha draft a resume to highlight her relevant skills and worked on interviewing skills with her. Staff covered proper language to use during an interview, key words Martha could use to grab an employer's attention while positively promoting her worth. Shortly after working with Michigan Works, Martha had a 2.5 hr interview and ended up landing her desired position! "I phoned MI WORKS! Grayling with much frustration and distress because I needed to have an updated resume and did not know how to navigate the computer to accomplish this task," says Martha. "A cheery voice answered my call. Christina guided and taught me over the phone. She spent over 2 hours initially with composing my resume and providing job leads." "We scheduled a second phone contact a couple of days later and Christina taught me how to interview. She worked with me for over two hours role-playing the interview process. Christina gave me helpful interview suggestions and emailed interviewing materials so I could continue to practice how to interview." "I needed help with my resume, job leads, and how to interview and Christina went above and beyond what I expected when I made the initial phone contact with MI WORKS! I was offered the job at RISE Center at my 2 1/2 hour interview. I believe that the help Christina provided gave me the confidence to accomplish my goal of finding a job. "I truly appreciate the assistance, encouragement and support Christina provided to me in the effort to find suitable, gainful employment. Thank you Christina, and thank you Michigan Works!"

Brian True had lost his job the same morning he came in to Michigan Works! in Grayling. He looked disheartened as he talked to the Michigan Works! Career Navigator, Chris Southwell. They talked about his skillset, what he was looking for, and that he was a veteran. Brian was feeling like he had chosen the wrong profession to sharpen his skills when he lost his job, but Michigan Works! staff were able to boost his confidence a bit when their quick actions led to multiple employers wanting him right away! While Career Navigator Marie Thompson gathered Brian’s resume information, CN Chris Southwell made some calls for employment opportunities. Business Solutions Professional Alayne Hansen, who communicates closely with employers in the area, knew exactly where to look to place Brian. Knowing he had the experience that quite a few employers were actively seeking, Michigan Works! staff made a few phone calls. One call was to Furnace Guru, who had been looking for an HVAC Technician. Brian contacted the company right away (literally in the Michigan Works! parking lot) and was hired on the spot via a phone interview. Brian came back into the office all smiles to let the helpful Michigan Works! staff know that he’d be starting his new job the very next morning! Not only was Brian ecstatic to find new employment so quickly, it really made the Michigan Works! staff’s day to use teamwork to help a displaced worker find new employment so quickly! In addition, Brian’s new position pays $2 more per hour than his previous job! Brian states, “The staff was very helpful and connected me with an employer within 15 minutes – who hired me on the spot! I am very thankful for their services and I would highly recommend them for any displaced workers!”

"I reached out to Michigan Works as I was struggling to pay for my training at Alpena Community College," says Nicholas Byrne. "My dream job was to become a lineman, and after a few years of college I decided to get into the Consumer's Energy lineman program at Alpena Community College. After using my savings to pay for my college, I was going to be short the money to pay for my lineman classes." "Michigan Works! got back with me almost instantly, and they began to help me through the enrollment process. After completing all of my paperwork, I was informed I would be awarded the perfect amount to pay for my final portion of training," states Nicholas. "I am very grateful for all the help and support from Michigan Works! Thanks to their assistance, I now work for Consumers Energy as an Apprentice Lineman!" "I was involved in sports throughout high school, and I was awarded a scholarship to play baseball in college. But I decided that my path was not in business and I decided to save money in order to pay for my lineman training. My first semester was paid through savings, and I was granted an opportunity to go through Consumers Energy 11-week training program through Alpena’s advanced certificate program." "I was tremendously challenged when I realized I was becoming very short on funds as I continued to pursue my dream. Michigan Works!, and all of its associates, were extremely helpful, and they walked me step by step through any questions I had. If it weren’t for Michigan Works!, I would be extremely far in debt and not able to start the way I have."

Angie Souva was a nursing student at Kirtland Community College. With no financial aid available to her, she was working multiple jobs to try to make ends meet while putting herself through college. With WIOA Adult assistance from Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium, Angie was able to receive tuition assistance and mileage reimbursement. With this additional support, Angie has been able to obtain better grades and reduce her stress levels. Appreciative of the support she received from her Michigan Works! Career Advisor (Jackie Gransden), Angie states, "Thanks Jackie for all your help. This semester has been so much easier with you and Michigan Works! helping me." Thanks to WIOA Adult funds, Angie is finding it much easier to make ends meet. She reports that the help from MW! has been beneficial both financially and mentally. Angie has been way less stressed and can now be more focused on her goals of becoming an RN.

Allband Communications Cooperative’s primary mission is providing affordable and advanced telephone, 911 and broadband services to residents in Northeastern Michigan who do not have access to advanced telecommunications offered in neighboring more populated cities or other urban areas. Allband has focused its attention on project development that will allow low-income households, welfare recipients and struggling businesses the ability to utilize broadband fiber access to pursue new careers, opportunities and applications that will speed Michigan’s economic recovery. Allband’s unique ability to build high-speed networks in rural areas has given our community a new tool to address its economic hardships. Allband has long struggled with the recruitment of skilled workers and/or the retainment of employees after they are trained. Attracting skilled talent to our region who are specific to our industry can be a challenge and past attempts to recruit people to the area have resulted in quick departures. Past attempts to train local employees with our unique skill sets have also been a letdown as people often move on after a while for more money and better benefits. Since Allband is located in an extremely rural “blue collar” region, it can be a challenge recruiting people to relocate here as a tech-centric workforce seems to prefer more populated urban areas. Offering the benefits and compensation to attract said skilled workers is also a challenge as Allband is more often than not navigating the financial obstacles that come bundled with our unique rural business model. Recently, Allband has also had to navigate the loss of two senior technicians who took several years of experience and knowledge with them, leaving the Cooperative with several partially trained staff in the field of fiber optic outside plant construction and administration. An ill-timed issue given the recent spike in demand for broadband in rural areas post COVID-19. Michigan Works! Northeast Consortium was able to provide Incumbent Worker Training to train 3 Allband employees in an intensive 3-day training. Allband reports the ability to obtain grant subsidies from Michigan Works was a blessing. General Manager, Ron Siegal states, “Allband Communications recently received financial support from the Michigan Works! Incumbent Worker Training Program and I cannot say enough about the positive experience we have had with the Northeast Consortium staff. They were patient, helpful, supportive, knowledgeable and genuinely cared about the success of our cooperative and the career development of our staff. As a rural telephone and broadband provider, cash flow is always a challenge, so the funding we received was critical as it allowed us to secure the onsite training our technicians needed to improve their skills, earn a better wage and higher locally. The application process was smooth and the MW! staff kept us in the loop in terms of needed material and deadlines, and the training went better than expected!” "After researching the best way to train our outside plant staff, it was obvious that it would cost a considerable amount of money to bring trainers to Curran, MI where we are located. It is common for companies to send their techs away for training as it is less expensive, but due to our size and unique methodologies, it made more sense to bring the trainers here so they could customize the curriculum around our specific needs and with the same equipment we use every day. Helping with the cost of the training was a tremendous help to us, as we are now able to re-direct the training savings to improved equipment, tools and upgrades for the technicians (which was recommended by the trainers) and has also allowed us to absorb the expense of much-needed wage increases while we are operating during our “slow season” when revenues decrease overall. Overall, the training program has enhanced our efforts to higher locally, improve compensation/benefits and ultimately retain skilled workers."