The Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities Initiative
Place-Based Workforce Development in Appalachia, the Lower Mississippi Delta and the Northern Border Regions of the United States
| Location | Michigan, United States |
| Initiative | Community and Worker Economic Transition Office and Michigan Works programs for unemployed working-age residents |
| Program snapshot | The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has created a new office to co-ordinate activities in support of the net-zero transition with a statewide mandate, rather than as a response to highly localized economic shocks from employment loss. However, the office was created without earmarked funding and must find ways to leverage existing resources, particularly from federal sources created by the Biden administration. As of the time of writing, funding under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act has all been paused. However, the Michigan Department of Labor also maintains the U.S.’s only state-wide integrated network of workforce development agencies, Michigan Works, that delivers federally funded workforce training and employment development programs, including career counselling, vouchers for skills training, apprenticeship programs and outreach to hard-to-serve populations. However, there is not, as yet evidence of collaboration between the two bodies. This case study highlights the challenges involved in adapting existing services and funding for transition-related goals, even when there is considerable place-based flexibility. |
| Sector focus | The Community and Worker Economic Transition Office focuses on the automotive and energy sectors because of Michigan’s longstanding concentration of automotive manufacturing and ancillary businesses. Michigan Works programs are not sector-specific and, instead, target eligible unemployed workers. |
| Time frame | Created by state legislation in November 2023, with service eligibility retroactive to 2020 and anticipated until 2040, determined at the municipal, county or regional level. Existing Michigan Works programs are ongoing, but the regional board for Detroit has developed a new strategic plan for 2024-27. |
