Michigan Business Beat | Carrie Rosingana CAMW! Insight on Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan

Michigan Business Network

Chris Holman welcomes back Carrie Rosingana, , CEO, CAMW! Capital Area Michigan Works!, Lansing, MI, but serving Ingham, Eaton and Clinton Counties. THEME: Following the June 5 roundtable with Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Carrie reviews the mission of the Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan and its importance to businesses and job-seeking individuals. Question: In March, Governor Whitmer announced the first-ever Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan. Can you tell us the goal of this plan and how it will affect our workforce? Question: On June 5, CAMW! hosted a roundtable discussion to further review the workforce plan. What topics were expanded upon during the roundtable? Question: What gaps in employment are addressed in the Statewide Workforce Plan? Question: How is Capital Area Michigan Works! implementing and supporting the mission of the workforce plan? For more on that June 5th session: Gilchrist, Corbin: Workforce Plan Will Help Eliminate Barriers Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Susan Corbin and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II heard feedback on the Statewide Workforce Plan in a Wednesday roundtable, examining the successes and challenges of working to meet the goal of moving 75,000 households up to the middle class by the end of 2027. Gilchrist and Corbin were joined by a group of statewide and local economic development officials, Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt), and Capital Area Michigan Works! CEO Carrie Rosingana. The discussion was centered on removing barriers to job and service access for formerly incarcerated people, but the group also covered issues of education access, food assistance for students who work or have apprenticeships, and the ways change in income can limit access to government services. “This is the first time we’ve ever had a statewide workforce plan that has very clear goals of where we want our state to be,” Corbin said. “We know that a lot of great things are already happening across the state. I think it was important for us today to hear what’s happening on the ground, people that are working, you know, working on our issues every day.” Corbin said the workforce plan has had victories in the Department of Corrections Michigan Offender Success model, which helps connect returning citizens with skill-building and employment opportunities, and the Job Court pilot program in Genesee, Marquette, and Wayne Counties, which matches previously incarcerated workers with participating employers to work well-paying jobs to prevent recidivism. Next up for LEO’s execution of the plan is expanding the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Returning Citizen Guidebook to include an outline of which industries have pathways to licensing for formerly incarcerated workers. Gilchrist said advancing initiatives like these will further the goal of reintegrating those who’ve been incarcerated back into the workforce. “For that to be viable, (we have) to remove the barriers that stand between people and their possibilities, and so much of this is grounded in community support and people making sure that they are helping other people be successful,” Gilchrist said. “We’re seeking that people who are returning from incarceration have no more barriers between themselves and their full integration into civic and economic life, including pathways on apprenticeship and education, housing and other important pieces.” In the upcoming final stage of budget negotiations for fiscal year 2024-25, Corbin said she hopes to see programs like the Going Pro Talent Fund continue to be funded and receive ongoing investments from the state. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Subscribe to MBN’s YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCqNX… » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: twitter.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/