Going PRO Talent Fund
The Going PRO Talent Fund (GPTF) creates jobs and new opportunities through competitive training grants for employers like you! Winners receive funds to hire talent and upskill current employees, with customized training solutions to meet the needs of your business.
Over $3+ Million were awarded to Southeast Michigan businesses last year, resulting in 700+ new jobs and 1,300+ employees trained. What can the #Going PRO talent fund do for your business?
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.
2022 Award Winners
| Company Name | City | County | Awarded Amount |
| Diversified Engineering and Plastics | Jackson | Jackson County | $18,462.85 |
| Huron Valley Electric | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $19,260.00 |
| Spot Design | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $35,524.00 |
| Dunnage Engineering Inc. | Brighton | Livingston County | $59,494.14 |
| Veritas Vineyard LLC | Jackson | Jackson County | $29,810.20 |
| Our Family Friend, LLC | Somerset Center | Hillsdale County | $13,910.00 |
| Jackson | Jackson | Jackson County | $24,187.35 |
| Hillsdale | Hillsdale | Hillsdale County | $19,013.90 |
| Metal-Technologies-Precision Gage, Hillsdale, MI | Hillsdale | Hillsdale County | $40,125.00 |
| Michigan Automotive Compressor, Inc. | Parma | Jackson County | $67,410.00 |
| Technique Inc | Jackson | Jackson County | $97,726.31 |
| Galaxy Brain and Therapy Center | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $18,291.65 |
| MCS | Fowlerville | Livingston County | $25,538.76 |
| Tri-County Electric | Saline | Washtenaw County | $12,840.00 |
| A & N Electric | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $1,605.00 |
| AF Smith Electric | Ypsilanti | Washtenaw County | $14,445.00 |
| Hopp Electric | Chelsea | Washtenaw County | $16,050.00 |
| Michigan Medicine – Health Information Technology & Services | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $78,452.40 |
| Dan’s Electric | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $1,605.00 |
| Brentwood Electric | Dexter | Washtenaw County | $8,025.00 |
| Ashcott Electrical | Whitmore Lake | Washtenaw County | $8,025.00 |
| MS Ultrasonic Technology | Howell | Livingston County | $3,740.72 |
| Dexter | Dexter | Washtenaw County | $67,351.15 |
| J.D TOWING LLC | Ypsilanti | Washtenaw County | $22,470.00 |
| Jackson | Detroit | Wayne County | $115,560.00 |
| Lomar Machine and Tool Company | Horton | Jackson County | $105,460.27 |
| Milan | Milan | Washtenaw County | $94,695.00 |
| Kathy Capelli | Saline | Washtenaw County | $25,607.24 |
| Production Saw & Machine, Inc | Clarklake | Jackson County | $38,307.07 |
| Saline | Saline | Washtenaw County | $49,755.00 |
| Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $15,836.00 |
| Hillsdale County Senior Services Center | Hillsdale | Hillsdale County | $9,630.00 |
| Drews Place | Hillsdale | Hillsdale County | $88,275.00 |
| Ross Design and Engineering | Cement City | Hillsdale County | $38,070.60 |
| W2Fuel LLC | Adrian | Lenawee County | $27,060.30 |
| Tribar Technologies Howell | Howell | Livingston County | $104,667.40 |
| CAE Inc. | Hamburg | Livingston County | $10,646.50 |
| FOWLERVILLE | Fowlerville | Livingston County | $3,524.58 |
| Holland | Holland | Ottawa County | $48,989.95 |
| Total Security Solutions | Fowlerville | Livingston County | $38,057.76 |
| Hope Landing | Charlotte | Eaton County | $38,520.00 |
| T-Squared Designs Inc. | Brighton | Livingston County | $6,420.00 |
| Orion Oaks Assisted Living | Lake Orion | Oakland County | $96,300.00 |
| Ypsilanti | Ypsilanti | Washtenaw County | $19,617.38 |
| Jackson Road-Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $122,375.90 |
| The Betty Brigade | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $22,470.00 |
| AGET Manufacturing Company | Adrian | Lenawee County | $15,638.05 |
| Hillsdale Hospital | Hillsdale | Hillsdale County | $39,796.51 |
| Timothy Roberts & Associates- Ypsilanti Office | Ypsilanti | Washtenaw County | $19,260.00 |
| The Oaks at Byron Center – Trilogy | Byron Center | Livingston County | $43,335.00 |
| Interim of Washtenaw | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw County | $17,703.15 |
| American Tooling Center | Grass Lake | Jackson County | $58,609.25 |
| Clarklake | Clarklake | Jackson County | $11,235.00 |
| Ventra Fowlerville LLC | Fowlerville | Livingston County | $41,003.47 |
| Ypsilanti | Ypsilanti | Washtenaw County | $1,872.50 |
| The Oaks at Belmont – Trilogy | Belmont | Livingston County | $40,125.00 |
| Oaks at Northpointe Woods – Trilogy | Byron Center | Livingston County | $49,755.00 |
| Westlake Health Campus – Trilogy | Commerce Township | Oakland County | $49,755.00 |
| The Willows of East Lansing – Trilogy | East Lansing | Ingham County | $43,335.00 |
| Willows at Howell – Trilogy | Howell | Livingston County | $43,335.00 |
| Willows at Okemos – Trilogy | Okemos | Ingham County | $49,755.00 |
| Oaks at Woodfield – Trilogy | Grand Blanc | Genesee County | $49,755.00 |
| Stonegate Health Campus – Trilogy | Lapeer | Lapeer County | $52,965.00 |
| Shelby Crossing – Trilogy | Utica | Macomb County | $49,755.00 |
| Novi Lakes – Trilogy | Novi | Livingston County | $43,335.00 |
| Proclean Of Michigan | Adrian | Lenawee County | $11,235.00 |
| Orchard Grove – Trilogy | Romeo | Livingston County | $43,335.00 |
| Jackson | Jackson | Jackson County | $51,360.00 |
| PCA Curo Pharmacy | Grand Rapids | Kent County | $30,495.00 |
TOTAL: $2,679,957.31