.png)
OPC Arbre Farms in Walkerville recently completed its FY24 Going PRO Talent Fund training plan to provide12 employees with supervisory leadership training. It was recently announced that the company will again receive the training assistance grant to up-skill its team members.
BIG RAPIDS – Michigan Works West Central announced more than $506,700 in training funding is being awarded to 14 local companies to train more than 1,750 employees.
Two Oceana County businesses — Michigan Freeze Pack and OPC Arbre Farms LLC — are among those companies.
The funds are being awarded through the Going PRO Talent Fund, which offers fall and spring application cycles each year, according to a Michigan Works press release.
The Going PRO Talent Fund is a competitive funding program that helps employers train, develop, and retain current and new employees. Employers can apply for up to $2,000 in training funding assistance per employee, and up to $3,500 per US Department of Labor registered apprentice.
Statewide, 697 businesses are being awarded a total of $42.7 million to train about 22,780 current and new employees, including about 4,000 USDOL registered apprentices. Winners of the fiscal year 2025 Cycle I award period were announced Dec. 4, by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.
“The Going PRO Talent Fund is one of the most important tools we have to help local businesses offer training to their employees,” said Executive Director at Michigan Works West Central Shelly Keene. “When companies invest in their teams through Going PRO, it increases employee retention, builds a stronger economy and makes our local businesses more competitive. It also helps employees gain in-demand skills that can lead to rewarding careers, financial stability and provide greater opportunities for their families.”
Companies applied for funding this past fall with the help of Michigan Works West Central’s Business Services team. The following companies are being awarded funds to train their staff beginning in January:
Oceana County
- Michigan Freeze Pack
- OPC Arbre Farms LLC
Mason County
- Hardman Construction
- Leta’s Educational Childcare LLC
- Pro-Master Cleaning & Restoration
- Quick Way of Ludington
- Safety Decals Inc.
Mecosta County
- Altercare of Big Rapids
- Haworth Components
Newaygo County
- Magna Mirrors
Osceola County
- Gerber Construction
- Northern Precision Products LLC
- Reed City Group
- Yoplait
Since the Going PRO Talent Fund (formerly the Skilled Trades Training Fund) began in 2014, Michigan Works West Central helped secure more than $5.4 million to train more than 6,900 workers at 66 different employers in the region, including 237 USDOL registered apprentices. Statewide, 7,480 grants have been awarded through the program in the past decade (no awards were granted in 2020 due to the pandemic), providing training to more than 220,000 Michiganders.
The Going PRO Talent Fund aligns with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Sixty by 30 initiative to increase the number of working-age adults with a skill certificate or college degree to 60 percent by 2030.
“The Going PRO Talent Fund provides Michiganders the opportunity to learn new skills and advance their careers while empowering businesses to grow, innovate and compete in our fast-changing economy,” said LEO Director Susan Corbin. “By fostering a stronger connection between workforce development and business needs, we’re building a Michigan where individuals and employers alike can thrive, creating lasting economic growth and opportunity for all.”
A complete list of the Going PRO Talent Fund Cycle I award winners can be found at Michigan.gov/TalentFund. Employers interested in submitting an application in the upcoming FY25 Cycle II Going PRO Talent Fund application period, should reach out to the Business Services team at Michigan Works West Central at MWWC.org/GoingPRO.
_______________________________________
Please Support Local News
Receive daily MCP and OCP news briefings along with email news alerts for $10 a month. Your contribution will help us to continue to provide you with free local news.
The easiest way is to sign up for an automatic monthly payment on Paypal. Click this link.
Alternative methods:
We can send you an invoice for a yearly payment of $120, which you can conveniently pay online or by check. If you are interested in this method, please email editor@mediagroup31.com and we can sign you up. You can also mail a yearly check for $120 to Media Group 31, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454 (please include your email address).
We appreciate all our readers regardless of whether they choose to continue to access our service for free or with a monthly financial support.
If you would like to support MCP/OCP but do not wish to receive daily emails, please consider sending a contribution to any of the above methods or pay by Venmo (@masoncountypress).
_____
This story and original photography are copyrighted © 2024, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.
As the services of Media Group 31, LLC are news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.
Please consider helping to fund local news. Mason County Press and Oceana County Press are available for free thanks to the generous support of our advertisers and individuals. Three ways to help us: Venmo: @MasonCountyPress; Paypal: MasonCountyPress@gmail.com; Mail a check to PO BOX 21, Scottville, MI 49454.
fb.com/stars
.jpg)
