Going PRO Talent Fund
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.
New jobs created
Employees Trained
New Apprenticeships
2021 Award
Get a second chance at funding!
The Going PRO Talent fund has new opportunities for employers participating in Industry Led Collaboratives, an innovative strategy to help employers to close the skills gap.
An Industry-Led Collaborative (ILC) is a network of businesses, training providers, and workforce agencies that use the power of collaboration to identify opportunities to upskill their workforce. With exclusive access to additional dollars from the GoingPRO Talent Fund, participating companies can fill in-demand jobs and create lucrative career opportunities for their employees.
Are you ready to close the talent gap? Contact us to learn more about Industry Led Collaboratives!
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.
2021 Award Winners
| Company Name | City | County | Amount Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brembo North America, Homer Operations | Homer | Calhoun County | $70,355.00 |
| Paragon @ Oaks at Northpointe Woods | Battle Creek | Calhoun County | $4,100.00 |
| Oaks at Northpointe Woods | Battle Creek | Calhoun County | $39,000.00 |
| Paragon @ Oaks at Woodfield | Grand Blanc | Genesee County | $2,640.00 |
| Oaks at Woodfield | Grand Blanc | Genesee County | $36,000.00 |
| Hillsdale Hospital | Hillsdale | Hillsdale County | $49,236.00 |
| Livonia Tool & Laser | Litchfield | Hillsdale County | $22,345.00 |
| Precision Gage, Hillsdale | Hillsdale | Hillsdale County | $18,000.00 |
| Jesco Industries, INC | Litchfield | Hillsdale County | $2,290.00 |
| Paragon @ Willows at East Lansing | East Lansing | Ingham County | $3,520.00 |
| Paragon @ Willows at Okemos | Okemos | Ingham County | $2,340.00 |
| Willows at East Lansing | East Lansing | Ingham County | $37,500.00 |
| Willows at Okemos | Okemos | Ingham County | $37,500.00 |
| Lomar Machine & Tool CO | Horton | Jackson County | $42,970.00 |
| Aladdin | Jackson | Jackson County | $9,950.00 |
| Accubilt Automated Systems, LLC | Jackson | Jackson County | $8,100.00 |
| America’s Preferred Home Warranty | Jackson | Jackson County | $79,125.00 |
| Technique, Inc | Jackson | Jackson County | $53,198.00 |
| ELCO Enterprises, Inc. | Jackson | Jackson County | $10,400.00 |
| Diversified Engineering and Plastics | Jackson | Jackson County | $11,675.00 |
| HENRY FORD ALLEGIANCE HEALTH | Jackson | Jackson County | $112,500.00 |
| Consumers Energy Jackson | Jackson | Jackson County | $408,000.00 |
| Advance Turning & Manufacturing, Inc. | Jackson | Jackson County | $48,220.00 |
| American Tooling Center | Grass Lake | Jackson County | $77,897.00 |
| Industrial Steel Treating Co. | Jackson | Jackson County | $22,500.00 |
| Automated Logistics Systems | Jackson | Jackson County | $35,090.00 |
| A Plus Electric Inc. | Clarklake | Jackson County | $11,000.00 |
| Paragon @ Ridgecrest/Mission Point | Jackson | Jackson County | $2,940.00 |
| PCA Curo Pharmacy | Grand Rapids | Kent County | $36,000.00 |
| Paragon @ Oaks at Byron Center | Byron Center | Kent County | $880.00 |
| Oaks at Byron Center | Byron Center | Kent County | $33,000.00 |
| Paragon @ Stonegate | Lapeer | Lapeer County | $5,280.00 |
| Stonegate Health Campus | Lapeer | Lapeer County | $49,500.00 |
| Kirchoff Automotive USA, Inc. | Tecumseh | Lenawee County | $50,440.00 |
| Wacker Chemical Corporation | Adrian | Lenawee County | $175,234.00 |
| Axis Engineering | Britton | Lenawee County | $15,263.00 |
| L & W Engineering | Blissfield | Lenawee County | $8,350.00 |
| AGET Manufacturing Company | Adrian | Lenawee County | $3,500.00 |
| David Giles-Solved | Clinton | Lenawee County | $1,500.00 |
| TG Fluid Systems | Brighton | Livingston County | $59,206.00 |
| Thai Summit America Corporation | Howell | Livingston County | $114,677.00 |
| CAE Inc. | Hamburg | Livingston County | $10,990.00 |
| Vista Springs Astounding Joy | Howell | Livingston County | $36,400.00 |
| Aludyne North America, Inc. | Howell | Livingston County | $7,895.00 |
| Boss Engineering | Howell | Livingston County | $7,900.00 |
| Willows at Howell | Howell | Livingston County | $39,000.00 |
| Ultra Aluminum Manufacturing | Howell | Livingston County | $11,940.00 |
| Brighton NC Machine | Brighton | Livingston County | $39,510.00 |
| Ventra Fowlerville | Fowlerville | Livingston County | $40,500.00 |
| Paragon @ Willows at Howell | Howell | Livingston County | $2,060.00 |
| Paragon @ Shelby Crossing | Utica | Macomb County | $8,200.00 |
| Paragon @ Orchard Grove | Romeo | Macomb County | $2,340.00 |
| Shelby Crossing Health Campus | Utica | Macomb County | $49,500.00 |
| Orchard Grove Health Campus | Romeo | Macomb County | $46,500.00 |
| Acme Mills LLC | Bloomfield Hills | Oakland County | $35,555.00 |
| Paragon @ Westlake | Commerce Township | Oakland County | $4,100.00 |
| Paragon @ Novi Lakes | Novi | Oakland County | $5,280.00 |
| Westlake Health Campus | Commerce Township | Oakland County | $49,500.00 |
| Lakes of Novi | Novi | Oakland County | $39,000.00 |
| Huron Valley Electric | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $21,000.00 |
| Hopp Electric | Chelsea | Washtenaw County | $30,000.00 |
| Tri-County Electric | Saline | Washtenaw County | $19,500.00 |
| Shaw Electric | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $9,000.00 |
| AF Smith Electric | Ypsilanti | Washtenaw County | $3,000.00 |
| A & N Electric | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $1,500.00 |
| Epic Races | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $999.00 |
| MMI Engineered Solutions | Saline | Washtenaw County | $46,495.00 |
| Kyocera Unimerco Tooling, Inc | Saline | Washtenaw County | $43,500.00 |
| Ashcott Electrical | Whitmore Lake | Washtenaw County | $1,500.00 |
| Brentwood Electric | Dexter | Washtenaw County | $1,500.00 |
| Dan’s Electric | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $1,500.00 |
| QED ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS INC | Dexter | Washtenaw County | $13,585.00 |
| MC3 Cardiopulmonary | Dexter | Washtenaw County | $1,500.00 |
| GESTAMP WASHTENAW LLC | Chelsea | Washtenaw County | $22,705.00 |
| Haley Mechanical | Dexter | Washtenaw County | $22,813.00 |
| Human Element, Inc | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $60,000.00 |
| Michigan Medicine – Health Information Technology & Services | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $58,776.00 |
| American Soy Products | Saline | Washtenaw County | $27,290.00 |
| Nativas Systems-Jackson | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $46,980.00 |
| Zero Hour Parts | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $42,680.00 |
| Hatch Stamping Company | Chelsea | Washtenaw County | $14,949.00 |
| Nostrum Energy LLC | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $16,723.00 |
| WORKIT HEALTH, INC | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $11,027.00 |
| Nativas Systems-Venture | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $72,050.00 |
| MedImage, Inc. | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $3,495.00 |
| Logic Solutions, Inc. | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $19,717.00 |
| National Fiber Construction | Dexter | Washtenaw County | $68,325.00 |
| TorranceLearning | Chelsea | Washtenaw County | $20,400.00 |
| ComForCare Home Care Washtenaw | Ypsilanti | Washtenaw County | $51,830.00 |
| Modular Elements Design | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $9,000.00 |
| Leon Speakers | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $32,375.00 |
TOTAL: $3,043,105