Annual Reports

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Michele Economou Ureste, M.P.A.

This year was the milestone ten-year anniversary of the Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan. A virtual anniversary event was held on August 18, 2021, with numerous speakers which included founding members, community college presidents, former employees, and WIN board members. A Ten-Year Anniversary Proclamation was prepared to recognize the achievements of the workforce professionals in the WIN network of member organizations. A comprehensive ten-year timeline of regional training initiatives and data and research studies was developed and presented at the event.

In Q1 2021, SEMCA WIN was awarded the U.S. Department of Labor H1-B One Workforce on Building an Industry Infinity Supply Chain which will provide four years of support services and region-wide delivery of cybersecurity, transportation, and advanced manufacturing robotics and automation certification training through all WIN Board member organizations.

As a partner with the State of Michigan, the Michigan Rural Enhanced Access to Careers in Healthcare (MiREACH) grant was awarded in Q1 2021. MiREACH, and the Health Careers Alliance of Southeast Michigan, are designed to convene healthcare systems and identify strategies to address common talent needs and deliver postsecondary training programs through 2025.

The Michigan Learning and Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP) was awarded to SEMCA WIN by the state of Michigan for the period of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2023 to support short-term training which lead to Industry recognized credential and employment.

The U.S. Department of Labor American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) and America’s Promise grants ended this year by exceeding all performance outcome targets and earning recognition as one of the strongest workforce collaboratives in the nation for both grants.

The Michigan Alliance for Greater Mobility Advancement (MAGMA) Governing Board, an employer-led collaborative that WIN has been convening since 2013, unanimously supported serving as the lead collaborative for the Michigan Revolution for the Electrification of Vehicles (MiREV) State of Michigan sector strategy application in Q4 which was awarded in January 2022. Including MAGMA’s membership of over a dozen industry and stakeholder partners, the MiREV employer-led collaborative grant application includes the largest number of partners with over 100 business, education, non-profit, government, economic development, and workforce development board partners to scale existing electric vehicle and mobility-related curriculum statewide.

The WIN Board of Directors unanimously supported partnership with the State of Michigan on the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Assistance Good Jobs Challenge which would include more funding support for the MiREV training outcomes and deliverables.

With Oakland Community College serving as the grantee for the U.S. Department of Labor Closing the Skills Gap Apprenticeship grant, WIN community college and Michigan Works! partners have served approximately 800 participants against a goal of 3,200 by 2024.

The WIN data and research team worked on large data studies including a first draft of an Apprenticeship Training Guide and final draft of a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) High-Tech Workforce Preparation for Emerging Transportation Technologies: Training Materials for Current and Future Workforce and Future Workforce Recruitment Recommendations.

Sincerely,