The inaugural Michigan Supply Chain Innovation Summit, taking place August 30-31 in Dearborn, reflects a new emphasis on the importance and priority of the state's supply chain network. Every company and every job in Michigan is affected by the supply chain, which includes logistics, warehousing, distribution, inventory management, production planning, staff optimization, data integration, and much more. The conference will be hosted by Prima Civitas and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

The Summit features industry experts who are pushing the boundaries in complexity, management, talent development and leadership, and Omni channel supply chain integration, to name a few topics.

Click here to register online today.

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Click here to register online as a sponsor, or contact Scott Fleming at s.fleming@primacivitas.org about the opportunities to be part of this exceptional event.

The Workforce Development Agency (WDA) offers free-of-charge Fidelity Bonding to help high-risk job seekers obtain employment.  A Fidelity Bond is a business insurance policy of the Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America that insures an employer against employee theft, forgery, larceny, and embezzlement. 

The Fidelity Bonding Program (FBP) of Michigan is an incentive for employers to hire job seekers who are qualified, but who are considered high-risk because of a factor in their personal background.  The bonding program allows employers to obtain workers without taking a risk and allows high-risk job seekers to find work.  The WDA sponsors the program that will make a Fidelity Bond available for any job seeker who has a bona-fide offer of employment.

Those eligible for this program include the following individuals:

·         People with poor credit records including bankruptcies

·         Economically disadvantaged youth and adults who lack a work history

·         Welfare assistance recipients

·         Recovering substance abusers

·         Ex-offenders

·         Dishonorably discharged from military service

·         Youth in apprenticeships

·         Those who cannot be commercially bonded

Either the employer or the job seeker may request the bond.  A bond can be issued to the employer as soon as the job seeker has an offer.  Workers must meet the legal working age.  Self-employed people are not eligible.  Workers must be paid wages with federal taxes automatically deducted from their pay in order to qualify for the program.  Fidelity bonding is free for the first six months’ coverage.

Bonding assistance is available through local Michigan Works! Agency (MWA) Service Center.  A MWA Service Center provider will request a letter from the employer offering the job seeker employment and stating the starting date, job title, rate of pay, conditions of work, and that the offer of employment is for full time employment and conditional upon the job seeker receiving a Fidelity Bond.  The Bonding dollar amount ranges from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $25,000 in multiples of $5,000.  The employer must include a justification statement in the offer of employment letter if the amount requested is over $5,000.

Once the bond request is processed, the free-of-charge bond is mailed directly to the employer.  The job start date is the effective date of the bond insurance.  The bond insurance expires after six months; however, the employer may purchase continued coverage from the Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company.  The employer may contact the insurance company, or a MWA Service Center provider to extend the bonding insurance coverage.  For additional information about the FBP, access the FBP information at: http://www.mitalent.org/fidelity-bonding-program/

In an effort to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and skilled trades careers in Michigan, Pure Michigan Talent Connect last month hosted a #MiJobChat Twitter Chat. 

“With an expected 6,700 skilled trades jobs in Michigan opening up each year through 2022, it’s important to highlight the career and training opportunities Michigan has to offer,” said the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s, Andrew Belanger, Project Manager of Talent Resources and Social Media Manager for MiTalent.org. “Our focus on STEM and skilled trades in this recent #MiJobChat is a small part of Michigan’s STEM and skilled trade’s efforts to promote current and future industry needs in the great lakes state.”

Engaging with featured partners, Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation, Grand Rapids Community College, Ottawa Area Intermediate School District’s FuturePREP’d Program, Lansing Community College, Michigan STEM Partnership, and Neogen Corporation the recent chat addressed popular STEM and skilled trades myths, looked at training opportunities and explored how each partner is supporting skilled trades and STEM careers in Michigan.

“We had a wide range of perspectives represented in this month’s #MiJobChat. With skilled trades jobs in Michigan representing about one-third of the total employment base, with more than 8,300 jobs currently open, we are pleased we were able to provide a platform to connect educators, students, parents, workforce agencies and employers,” said Belanger.

If you weren’t able to join the #MiJobChat, check out these 20 highlights:

Q1: How do you define STEM and skilled trade’s careers?

“Skilled trades: Manual worker in specific trade/craft with a certificate or specialized training” – Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation

“Skilled trades careers are those that demand hands-on talent. These careers can range from professional bakers to robotic technicians” – OAISD futurePREP’d

Q2: What STEM & skilled trades industries exist in Michigan? Where do you think talent is in the greatest need?

“STEM and skilled trades include manufacturing, construction, computers, HVAC, and so much more.” – Grand Rapids Community College

“Manufacturing employs 600,000 men and women in Michigan, but we need more and we need them to be skilled trades.” – Michigan Manufacturers Association

“The aging of the workforce in skilled trades creates shortages in every industry.” – Oakland County Michigan Works!

Q3: What do you think is the biggest MYTH about STEM careers & skilled trades careers? Why is the MYTH not true?

“Myth: Factories are the old, dark dirty places of years past. Now, often they are clean, high-tech and need skilled workers.” – Laura Robb

“One of the biggest MYTHS is that it’s male dominated. There are many women in these areas and we need more!” – Neogen Corporation

“MYTHS: Unstable, low growth potential, (situational) physically hard on the body, unhealthy work environment.” – Lansing Community College

Q4: What are some things your organization is doing to support STEM and/or skilled trades Michigan career options?

“We talk about STEM & skilled trades careers with job seekers and provide resources and work to change the myths.” – Oakland County Michigan Works!

“Providing grants to schools and nonprofit organizations to develop STEM education programs” – Michigan STEM Partnership

“Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has provided $50M to Michigan colleges to expand skilled trades training programs: http://www.michigan.gov/snyder/0,4668,7-277-57577_57657-348250–,00.html” – The Michigan Talent Investment Agency  

Q5: If someone is interested in getting into a skilled trades and/or STEM career what would you recommend as next steps?

“We would recommend that families talk with their local school & ISD to find what career exploration options are open to them.” – OAISD futurePREP’d

“Advice when exploring skilled trades: Research on O*NET OnLine to learn the essentials of the jobs.” –Lansing Community College

“Next steps: take classes in the field of interest, get a certificate or degree, do a job shadow or internship and keep learning! – Neogen Corporation

Q7: Are there any interesting FACTS you want to share about STEM careers and/or skilled trades jobs in Michigan?

“About 50% of all STEM jobs are open to workers with credentials less than a bachelor’s degree” – Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation

“More than 260,000 STEM postings were available to just over 100,000 qualified workers in the Midwest http://bit.ly/1MunO5M .” – Livingston County Michigan Works!

Q8: What’s the most important take-a-way you want people to know about Skilled Trades & STEM careers in Michigan?

“These careers are viable, high demand, high wage, high skill. It’s not the industry of 2008!” – Grand Rapids Community College

“Skilled trades and STEM careers are in in-demand fields, meaning employers NEED qualified people to fill positions.” – Capital Area Michigan Works!

“You can do more than work. You can create and innovate and grow through skilled trades.” – Michigan Manufacturers Association

Businesses cannot exist without talented people in STEM and skilled trades careers” – Neogen Corporation

If you are interested in seeing all of the comments from the recent Twitter Chat search the hash tag #MiJobChat on Twitter.

Be sure to follow Pure Michigan Talent Connect on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for talent news, updates and to learn about future #MiJobChat events. To learn more about mitalent.org’s skilled trades campaign visit: http://www.mitalent.org/skilled-trades/

Just over two years ago, on July 18, 2013, the city of Detroit declared bankruptcy. While it was a sad day for the city, the Motor City has since experienced a spirited recovery thanks to its wholesale re-dedication to supporting its entrepreneurs. In doing so, Detroit has seen an influx of tech innovation and talent come to the forefront, and the entire state of Michigan owes these entrepreneurs for helping to revive the state’s largest city.

Of course, the influx of entrepreneurship within Detroit isn’t purely altruistic; there are plenty of reasons why talented founders have been drawn to launch in the Motor City. For starters, Detroit offers the third lowest startup cost among US cities, meaning that startups can get more for their dollar by launching within the Motor City. And for a city with some of the cheapest commercial rents in the country, there are still areas like the Madison Block that serve as hubs of innovation for promising tech talent and entrepreneurs.

On the other end of the spectrum, entrepreneurs in Detroit are also taking advantage of the city’s resources at grassroots levels. For example, members of the inaugural class of Venture for America in Detroit recently launched Rebirth Realty, a project that is building an entrepreneurial house from the remains of an abandoned Detroit home. These kinds of projects are a microcosm of how entrepreneurs can take advantage of Detroit’s traits to launch a project that benefits themselves and the city as a whole.

We’ve noticed social entrepreneurship is also more prevalent in Detroit than most other US cities; many startup projects are launched with one eye on profitability and the other on creating a solution that will help the city regain its prominent economic status. Entrepreneurs like Veronika Scott, founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan, which employs Detroit’s homeless community to manufacture coats and sleeping bags that reach shelters throughout the city, have launched grassroots efforts that have helped the city and its inhabitants rebound quickly.

The pervasive supportiveness for entrepreneurship in Detroit has manifested itself over the past two years. This altruistic mindset has allowed a countless number of entrepreneurs to recognize the opportunity within the city and initiate their own change. Private funding in Detroit’s tech companies totaled $770 million in 2014—more than Ann Arbor’s tech community—and there’s no doubt that entrepreneurs nationwide are taking note of the sweeping change that’s invading the Motor City.