Governor Delivers Special Message On Talent

In what he described as his most important special message to the Legislature yet, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder laid out his plan for better connecting Michigan’s employers with jobseekers. The Governor’s Special Message on Talent was highlighted by the unveiling of the Pure Michigan Talent Connect program and website, http://www.mitalent.org/.

Also significant was the Governor’s call for a “work sharing” program whereby an employer can reduce a worker’s hours rather than an outright layoff and the Unemployment Insurance Agency benefits would be prorated to make-up for lost hours. The Governor pointed to 22 other states with similar successful programs.

Legislation making the needed statutory changes already exists, having been introduced by Representative Jim Ananich (D-Flint) in April. House Bill 4516 has been referred to the House Commerce Committee where the panel’s Chairman, Representative Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City), has indicated he would consider addressing the measure following the Committee’s priority – the unemployment insurance program reforms recently passed by the Senate (see related story).

The Governor also called for the federal government to relax restrictions on immigrants working in Michigan and called upon the Michigan Legislature to provide an exemption for entrepreneurs from job training and work requirements.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, December 2, 2011 10:11 AM
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