LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) is launching a new $5.1 million program to help justice-involved adults secure careers in some of the state’s highest-demand industries.
The program, called MiRESTART, short for the Michigan Reentry Employment in Skilled Trades, Advanced Manufacturing, Registered Apprenticeships, and Training initiative, is funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. It’s a partnership between LEO, the Michigan Department of Corrections, the statewide network of Michigan Works! Agencies and the Workforce Development Institute.
Krista Johnson, LEO’s Workforce Development Director, said the goal is to give second chances while growing the state’s workforce.
“The goal of the My Restart initiative is to help at least 680 justice-involved individuals transition into careers in such industries as advanced manufacturing, shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing, and construction and infrastructure, all of which, of course, are critical industries here in Michigan,” Johnson said.
The program is expected to produce an estimated 100 new Registered Apprentices statewide, with services delivered through pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, work-based learning, career planning and other supportive services. Shipbuilding is a particular focus area, building on the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative, with an emphasis on welding, marine fabrication and electrical work, and industrial maintenance.
Johnson said the program targets a segment of the workforce she believes is often overlooked.
“We know that justice-involved individuals, they can be an often untapped talent pool that can be a really critical component of meeting the talent needs of Michigan’s employers,” Johnson said.
State officials also point to a link between stable employment and lower reoffense rates. LEO says a good-paying job is one of the strongest predictors of success for people on parole or probation.
The state received the grant award at the end of July and is now in the early stages of building out the program with its partners.
“We received the award at the end of July. And so right now we’re really in the process of building and standing up the program and launching that with our partners and our key partners,” Johnson said.
Asked how a program funded by federal dollars might be affected by a change in presidential administration, Johnson said LEO’s approach doesn’t shift with who is in office.
“Regardless of administration, is we’re really focused on getting individuals enrolled into our programs, getting them trained and credentialed, getting them employed and boosting their wages,” Johnson said.
MiRESTART is one of more than 40 workforce development programs run through LEO, some federally funded and some state funded. Johnson said the initiative fits into a broader, years-long push by the state to grow high-wage, high-demand career paths.
“We are really focused on industries, high-demand industries here in Michigan that are really critical. They offer, there’s a lot of employment openings, they offer good pay, the opportunity for career ladders, so you can continue to move up within the same career path to higher-earning careers in the same industry,” Johnson said.
The initiative supports the Michigan Statewide Workforce Plan, the Michigan Statewide Infrastructure Workforce Program and the governor’s Sixty by 30 initiative.
Most of LEO’s workforce programs, including MiRESTART, are delivered through the statewide network of Michigan Works! Agencies. Johnson pointed people interested in the program toward that network directly.
“If individuals want to get connected with this program or other programs that may be available that can assist them in their educational and career journeys, I would really encourage them to check out www.michiganworks.org, and that will allow them to connect with the service center that’s closest to them,” Johnson said.
