UNIVERSITY CENTER – In what Governor Rick Snyder said was the most important of his special messages to the Legislature, he asked that body for relatively little in helping to attract and retain talent for the state’s businesses.
The message focused more on a new website that expands on the state’s current job search system and other efforts to better connect employers and job-seekers.
“This is the one I got most excited about because this is the most important thing. It’s about people,” Snyder said of the message, which comes after similar addresses on local government, education, health and wellness and infrastructure. “When you talk about reinvention and jobs and kids, you come back to talent.”
The requests to the Legislature were changes to the unemployment system that he said would help people who might be laid off retain their job and those who are laid off find a new career.
Under his work-sharing proposal, which he said is in place in 22 other states, companies could, rather than laying a worker off, reduce that person’s hours. The Unemployment Insurance Agency would provide benefits commensurate with the hours lost.
So a worker cut back to half time could collect half his or her unemployment benefits.
The agreement allows the work to keep working and allows the company to retain its talent through tough times, Snyder said.
The move already has some support in the Legislature.
Rep. Jim Ananich (D-Flint) said he applauded Snyder’s call for work sharing. He said he introduced HB 4516 in April that would allow for such a program.
“Keeping people on the job and helping others get back to work must be our top priority,” Ananich said in a statement. “Hopefully we can work together to move this plan forward because Michigan’s families and businesses cannot afford to wait any longer for this creative, proven workforce tool.”
He said more than 20 other states and several countries have such a program. His bill was referred to the Commerce Committee earlier this year, but has not had a hearing.
Rep. Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City), chair of the committee, said he would talk to Ananich about his bill.
“I think I’ve shown the committee is willing to entertain idea from either side of the aisle,” he said. “I’m willing to look at a lot of things.”
Schmidt said he was intrigued by some of the ideas Snyder put forward, but is waiting to look at the specific policies before making any decisions.
Similar legislation, SB 697 , is pending in the Senate.
“As Michigan’s economy continues to go through peaks and troughs, we need to look at ways that we can help workers and employers alike weather the storm,” said Sen. Vincent Gregory (D-Southfield), sponsor of the bill. “My work-sharing proposal – endorsed by the Governor in his special message on talent development today – would strike a compromise between our businesses and our workers that would help everyone get through the lean times and avoid layoffs.”
But Senate Democrats chastised Republicans for rejecting Gregory’s amendment to SB 806 that would have provided a variety of changes to the unemployment system to add the work sharing language.
“We appreciate the recognition by Governor Snyder of our idea to create a work-sharing plan to help Michigan workers, and I share his call for immediate action on it to help our workers and improve our economy,” said Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer (D-East Lansing) in a statement. “Unfortunately, his own caucus balked when we moved to act on it today when we had the opportunity to create a positive change that would help Michigan workers.”
Amber McCann, spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe), said he is “interested in looking at creative ways to keep people employed and to retain our highly skilled workforce.”
The Michigan League for Human Services also praised Snyder for seeking the work-sharing program. “(T)he recommendation for work sharing to keep talent in Michigan is smart and will help both employers and employees,” said Karen Holcomb-Merrill, policy director for the League.
But she urged Snyder to also seek restoration of the six weeks of unemployment that were recently cut from the state’s benefits. “Michigan led the nation as the first state to cut the basic period of 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, and it should be the first state to restore those benefits,” she said.
Snyder said he also was calling on the federal government to relax certain restrictions on immigrants working in Michigan, especially if they are entrepreneurs.
Snyder also asked the Legislature for an exemption from job training and work requirements for those trying to start a new business.
“It’s not about finding a job; it’s about finding a career again,” Snyder said.
Those seeking a waiver would have to not only provide a detailed business plan, but would have to show it is unlikely they will find work in their prior profession.
While the message was light on actual requests to the Legislature, Snyder said the issue is essential to the state’s recovery.
Snyder said the prior workforce development programs had failed because they focused on training without connecting that to the demand in the business community.
The hallmark of the new initiative is Pure Michigan Talent Connect, a new website (www.mitalent.org) that allows visitors to not only peruse jobs that are available, or to post one they are seeking to fill, but also to explore career options.
The site includes a Career Matchmaker that shows the careers available with various skill sets. The page for each skill set shows average wages and types of jobs available. It also can display employers offering the various types of jobs.
The Career Investment Calculator shows how much it would cost for the training to change careers and the potential payoff for completing that change based on average wages for available jobs.
“Let’s give people a tool to show the return on investment they can make for getting that education,” Snyder said.
The new system might also encourage people to look at training in careers that are currently short of workers. “We produce 20 percent less than we need for computers and science fields,” he said. “For health care, it’s 14 percent less.”
For instance, while the state created 55,000 jobs in the past year, it still has 77,000 jobs waiting to be filled, he said. “These are good jobs, a lot of them,” he said.
While he did not make the call, as his predecessor did, for the number of college graduates to double, Mr. Snyder pointed to a study showing some 64 percent of future jobs would need some training beyond high school. “We’re at about 34 percent, so we almost need to double,” he said.
While he did not directly call for more college attendance, Snyder did hit universities for their tuition.
“Community colleges are a great value,” he said. “Universities in many cases are too expensive.”
Snyder said he would work with the universities to address the issue. “I don’t have a great answer today,” he said.
But he said it would help if dual enrollment could be expanded to allow high school students to complete a year of college before they graduate.
For those seeking a job, or hoping to post one, the new portal includes links to the current Michigan Talent Bank, but Snyder said those job listings would be more integrated into the site as planned improvements are added.
For those looking to create their own job, the site also provides information for entrepreneurs. “No other state in the nation provides the breadth and depth of entrepreneurial support to budding high growth companies like Michigan,” the site says. “Even our Governor is a former CEO and venture capitalist.”
While the administration is generally seeking to increase employment in the state, Snyder said there will be sp
