On April 25, more than 9,500 students from 85 middle and high schools throughout Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon and Ottawa counties learned about future career opportunities at MiCareerQuest 2018. Student attendees participated in interactive exhibits and conversations with 117 area employers. "Most often career fairs don't include civil ...
Anna Trujillo was referred to West Michigan Works! after returning to Michigan from California in August 2017. Anna was worried about finding employment; she didn’t have a credential, interview clothing, transportation funds or a Michigan driver's license and registration. She needed a way to support herself and her three children. ...
Employers offer short phone interviews now more than ever before. These interviews help hiring managers decide which candidates to invite to a longer, in-person interview. More than half of what a person says is communicated through body language and non-verbal cues. During a phone interview, the hiring manager can only ...
Hiring, training and employment successes celebrated at annual Impact Awards State leadership and lawmakers came together this week to honor west Michigan leaders for their efforts to create jobs and develop talent in their communities. Legislators and talent development officials recognized Muskegon resident Michael Minton, Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, ...
More than 1100 students participate in Hour of Code event West Michigan's IT industry is one of the fastest growing in the nation with a growth rate +6.5% over the national average. And the increasing use of technology in the workforce is creating a growing need for IT workers across ...
Publication Provides Snapshot of Region's Workforce Needs West Michigan Works! released this week its 2018 Hot Jobs list. The list contains the 100 top jobs in the region’s high-growth industries. For the seven-county West Michigan region, the highest demand is concentrated in health sciences and manufacturing. High-demand occupations are defined ...
Yolanda "Pretty" Marble hugs a student at Muskegon Community College's Grab-n-Go When you walk by the Grab-n-Go at Muskegon Community College, there will probably be a group of students hanging around. Not because they have the best pizza in the town, but because of the woman who runs the café. ...
Collaboration key to solving the region's workforce challenges The 2017 fiscal year found West Michigan Works! continuing to grow, change and improve as a regional entity. A focus on cost-cutting and innovative approaches to programmatic services led to direct service delivery for Allegan, Barry, Ionia, and Montcalm counties. This, plus ...
During times of low unemployment, there is a critical need to upskill the current workforce to meet the growing talent needs of employers. Skilled Trade Training Fund grants address the skills gap by funding training opportunities for the current workforce. The grants create a win-win situation - when employers invest ...
Pictured from left: Craig Stolsonburg – Business Solutions Representative, West Michigan Works!; Kerry Boulter – Training Coordinator, Flexfab; Kevin Trahan – Maintenance Technician, Flexfab Hastings manufacturer, Flexfab, leveraged workforce training funds to help cover the cost of long-time employee Kevin Trahan’s certification in Managing Industrial Networks for Manufacturing. Tapping into ...