LANSING – State Representative Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) today applauded the awarding of a $300,000 grant to Monroe County through the No Worker Left Behind program (NWLB) in order to better prepare area adults with the skills and education necessary to participate in the program.
"Too many of our workers have seen their jobs disappear due to outsourcing and downsizing, and we need to do all we can to support them during these tough economic times," Ebli said. "Our working families need help now, and these funds will help provide our workers with the training they need to prepare themselves for good-paying jobs in rapidly growing fields. This is great news for Monroe County workers, and I commend the community organizations and businesses that helped secure this funding."
The funding was awarded to a partnership between Monroe Community College; Bedford Adult Education; Monroe Bank and Trust; the Monroe County Adult Education Consortium; Monroe County Intermediate School District; Monroe County Library System; Monroe County Opportunity Program; the Salvation Army; Southeast Michigan Community Alliance; and United Way of Monroe County.
The groups will use the funds to better address the unique needs of adult learners, improve the effectiveness of adult education programs and increase access to these programs in an effort to prepare area adults for postsecondary education and training offered through NWLB.
NWLB provides up to two years of free tuition at any Michigan community college or university to prepare adults for jobs in high-demand fields and emerging industries.
"Building a world class workforce is a key part of turning our economy around," Ebli said. "By preparing more residents for the No Worker Left Behind program and improving our workforce, we can attract more growing businesses and good-paying jobs to our state and get Michigan back on the right track."