Electric Vehicle Workforce Hub funding helps remove barriers for mom of four
Holly, a mother of four in the Lansing area, was working multiple jobs and was still not able to make ends meet. Through Capital Area Michigan Works! and the Electric Vehicle Workforce Hub funding, Holly was able to attend the Electronic Controls Technician course provided by Lansing Community College.
"When I started this program I was really unsure of what I wanted to do, but for years I wanted a career in something I really enjoyed and was passionate about," shared Holly. "I found both of those things through this class."
In addition to paying for the training, Capital Area Michigan Works! provided rental assistance, work tools and work boots to help Holly successfully complete the training. Thanks to their support, she earned her OSHA 30, 8 SACA Industry recognized certificates and was offered a full-time position as an Electronic Controls Technician.
“I have four boys and I want to be able to take care of them and show them the possibilities for their future, too," said Holly. "I really appreciate the help you’ve given me (through the Electric Vehicle Workforce Hub grant). It made a huge difference in my success in the class. Without financial assistance I wouldn’t have had the time I needed to study to do well and pass all those certifications.”
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 The April meeting featured a robust presentation from Scott Spitze, Senior Economist of Burning Glass Institute (BGI). BGI and LEO are working together to study worker outcomes by occupation, industry, company, wages, promotion, retention and more. BGI provided a demonstration of the Michigan Worker Mobility Dashboard tool, which is currently in development.
Data workgroup members are drafting the scope of work that will drive the creation of the labor market employment report. The report will help us understand where we would expect to see industry job growth and potential job displacement, inform state policy and programming and allow partners to develop regional strategies.
 The subgroup focused on the development, expansion and support of advanced manufacturing programs at the K-12 level has begun to develop a playbook for institutions to build and sustain programs while connecting them to existing post-secondary programs with employer engagement and partnership. The goal is to complete the playbook for the 2025-2026 school year and to identify a region in which to pilot the playbook.
The Registered Apprenticeship subgroup’s focus is on the identification of resources to enable the adoption, support and expansion of Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the EV mobility sphere. The subgroup has identified the following key areas of focus:
- Demystifying Registered Apprenticeships
- Streamlining processes and pathways
- Standardizing vocabulary and terminology
- Promoting successes
 The Structural Barriers workgroup is planning to release a Request for Proposal to seek a contractor to develop a transportation barrier playbook that will detail best practices and a step-by-step guide for communities in Michigan to launch their own transportation barrier removal program. The awarded contractor will provide an electronic playbook that can be made available to community and workforce organizations to increase the number of individuals with reliable transportation to achieve employment and training.
During the April workgroup meeting, Emily Laidlaw, Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) presented to the group on various department initiatives, including PreK for All and MI Tri-Share Child Care Program. MiLEAP was established in 2023 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and prioritizes education from birth to postsecondary with a focus on preparing children for kindergarten. Children who receive high-quality early education have higher literacy rates and math skills, greater gains in social-emotional growth and long-term gains of increased post-secondary achievement.
If you are interested in joining any of the workgroups or subgroups referenced above, please contact LEO-SectorStrategies@michigan.gov.
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EV Workforce Hub Data & Coordination Workgroup meeting: May 20, 2025, at 11 a.m.
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EV Workforce Hub Training, Curriculum & Career Readiness Workgroup meeting: May 28, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
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All EV Workforce Hub Quarterly VIRTUAL meeting: June 5, 2025, at 1 p.m.
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EV Workforce Hub Structural Barriers Workgroup meeting: June 12, 2025, at 3:30 p.m.
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