ADOPTED - JULY 27, 2004

Agenda Item No. 20

Introduced by the County Services Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF CAPITAL AREA MICHIGAN WORKS! GRANT APPLICATION TO THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR A REGIONAL SKILL ALLIANCE PROJECT

RESOLUTION #04-207

WHEREAS, Capital Area Michigan Works! is seeking support for a $100,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth for a Regional Skill Alliance project; and

WHEREAS, Regional Skill Alliances are an organization of firms in a single industry and partners (e.g., community colleges, economic development organizations) dedicated to resolving one or more workforce development issues faced by the industry; and

WHEREAS, the industry and partners are brought together by a “convener” to organize activities and resources focused on the problem(s); and Capital Area Michigan Works! would serve as a Regional Skill Alliance convener for the Lansing tri-county region; and

WHEREAS, Regional Skill Alliances will focus on worker shortages, skill shortages, training mismatches, recruitment, and retention; and

WHEREAS, Capital Area Michigan Works! proposes convening the local manufacturing and health care industries to help resolve the workforce development issues they face and has worked with local area manufacturers to form a Manufacturing Council; and

WHEREAS, the Manufacturing Council is in place, and a study of manufacturing has been completed; and several workforce development issues have been identified, including hiring-efficiency concerns, basic skill gaps, and the adequacy of the supply of workers completing post-high school training; and

WHEREAS, in the area of health care, serious workforce development issues have already been identified, including worker shortages in some occupations and high turnover in others and depending on support by the industry, Capital Area Michigan Works! will try to convene this industry as well as partners and form a Health Care Council and Regional Skill Alliance during the next 12 months; and

WHEREAS, Capital Area Michigan Works! is requesting Ingham County’s support for this grant application and would like Ingham County to participate as a partner signifying the County’s willingness to work with the Manufacturing Council and the Health Care Council as they address issues pertaining to the Regional Skill Alliance.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby supports the Capital Area Michigan Works! Application for

ADOPTED - JULY 27, 2004

Agenda Item No. 20

a $100,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth for a Regional Skill Alliance project.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board agrees to participate by working with the Manufacturing Council, as the local Manufacturing Regional Skill Alliance works collective to address the human resource needs of the Capital Area manufacturing sector and in offering potential solutions as they

become fully identified with emphasis on improving hiring efficiencies by ensuring new entrants have the basic skills required by the jobs they seek; enhancing the basic skills of incumbent workers, including those with limited English skills, especially in firms with a long-established workforce; and assessing the adequacy of the post-high school training supply of workers in the region in meeting the needs of area manufacturing employers.

COUNTY SERVICES: Yeas: Swope, Thomas, De Leon, Hertel, Severino, Nevin

Nays: None Absent: None Approved 7/20/04