Going PRO Talent Fund
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The Going PRO Talent Fund (GPTF) creates jobs and new opportunities for jobseekers our region by helping businesses expand and upskill their workforce. Employers apply to receive competitive grants to hire more workers and train their existing employees, often resulting in higher wages and more lucrative career prospects. Since the program began in 2014, nearly $100 million has been awarded to more than 30,000 businesses across the state, allowing 72,542 people to keep their jobs. Since 2017, the Going PRO Talent Fund created 700+ new jobs and over 400+ apprenticeships!
New jobs created
Employees Trained
New Apprenticeships
Since 2017
Celebrating Success
Paragon Metals, Inc. is a Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier of automotive, truck, industrial and heavy equipment to Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, Volvo, and recently expanded its Michigan footprint by adding another facility in the Hillsdale Industrial Park. In order to adequately staff growth, the company worked closely with Michigan Works! to apply for the Going PRO Talent fund and was awarded $18,000 to jumpstart electrical apprenticeships and hire 10 new employees, such as Cole Breault.
"Without the Going PRO training money we wouldn’t be in as good as a position as we are now. This is a huge benefit for not just our employees, but for economic development in the region."
Cole Breault was a recent high school graduate with no prior work experience. Michigan Works! Southeast connected him with Paragon Metals who were happy to hire him thanks to additional funding from the GPTF grant.
"I feel more confident and I feel less intimidated by the career/working kind of environment. It makes it a little bit easier…"
As a result of this growth – and the Going PRO Talent Fund that helped make it possible Paragon Metals and Cole Breault have both become vibrant parts of the economic resurgence in Hillsdale County.