GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Leaders with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) and West Michigan Works! agency announced today the state has surpassed Michigan’s first-year campaign goal of recruiting and upskilling at least 1,000 workers to pursue new ready-to-hire production roles in tech-forward industries like electric vehicle battery manufacturing.
The MEDC’s recruitment campaign was developed with West Michigan Works! and leading Michigan businesses in EV/mobility, including Shape Corp. in Grand Haven, which has emerged as one of the state’s champions in hiring EV/mobility industry-related workers. The bipartisan announcement was made during a news conference at Shape featuring U.S. congresswoman Hillary Scholten, D-Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties, and Michigan state Sen. Roger Victory, R-Allegan and Ottawa counties.
“Michigan is among the first states in the nation with a talent consortium that has successfully identified the key skills and competencies employers need to succeed in the 21st century,” said MEDC Executive Vice President|Chief of Talent Solutions and Engagement Officer Kerry Ebersole Singh.
“We are tailored to businesses — like Shape Corp. — that are ready to make history by scaling their operations in Michigan’s key growth industries of EV and mobility, semiconductors and with more key industries to come,” Singh said. “No other state in the nation comes close to Michigan’s hand-in-hand approach in terms of aligning business needs with education and training programs.”
The MEDC’s recruitment campaign in West Michigan aligns with the “You Can In Michigan” national marketing campaign that Gov. Whitmer launched last fall to grow the state’s economy and attract and retain talent. The goal of the “You Can In Michigan” national marketing campaign is to fill open jobs, increase Michigan’s population and drive the state’s economic future forward. Comprehensively, it’s the largest state talent attraction campaign and effort in the U.S., according to the MEDC.
“Michigan put the world on wheels, and it’s Michigan that will keep us moving forward into a new frontier of automotive innovation,” Rep. Scholten said. “West Michigan, in particular, is showing us how it’s done with two key components–strong business-led, private-public partnerships and people. We’ve got an incredible talent pool here, and a climate to make it even better. Through the transformative power of investing in infrastructure, we’re creating good-paying jobs while setting our state up for long-term economic success.”
The early results in West Michigan from the MEDC’s recruitment campaign show that “You Can In Michigan” is on track to achieve continued success.
Now, the MEDC and its Talent Action Team will continue to work with West Michigan Works! and other officials across the state in filling more than 1,500 unique job openings in advanced manufacturing sectors like electric vehicle battery manufacturing.
“Michigan’s legendary manufacturing heritage and bold investments in workforce and economic development have our state in a strong position to build the future of cars, chips and clean energy,” Victory said.
“Our know-how and deep industry roots put us in a strong position to be a global leader in so many emerging industries,” said Victory. “I am especially pleased that the Michigan Economic Development Corp. is putting a particular focus on helping to train computer engineers, electrical engineers, semiconductor technicians and repair workers. Overall, our biggest goal is to make sustainable investments and identify partners committed to Michigan.”
The high-impact, high-profile employers that the MEDC and its Michigan Works! partners are supporting have both manufacturing operations and robust engineering departments with rewarding career options, including DENSO, Mahle, LGES, Shape Corp., Magna, Ford and Gotion.
“Having created the first integrated workforce development system in the country, Michigan has long been a leader among the nation’s workforce systems,” said West Michigan Works! Chief Operations Officer Angie Barksdale.
“Our team works with economic development and community college partners across the region to offer workforce support and training dollars for business expansion or attraction projects, which bring new jobs to West Michigan,” Barksdale said. “The proof of our success is on display today here at Shape Corp. Regional collaboration and problem-solving address talent, curriculum and advocacy issues on a broader level, resulting in a larger skilled labor pool and increased job placements.”
Here’s how the MEDC and West Michigan Works!, in tandem with Shape, helped produce the talent recruitment success story:
· In 2022, Shape identified the recruitment and retention of employees at its facilities in West Michigan as a challenge to current and future success through its engagement with MEDC’s Talent Action Team.
· In mid-2023, the MEDC Talent Action Team teamed up with Shape and West Michigan Works! to design a recruitment and training plan to hit the goal of hiring and upskilling 1,000-plus workers.
· The MEDC Talent Action Team and West Michigan Works! engaged local partners to help Shape have a more robust recruiting apparatus beyond just its human resources division. Partners included the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency, Michigan Rehabilitation Services and local economic developer Lakeshore Advantage.
· MEDC also incorporated a cutting-edge local marketing campaign with creative assets to position these production roles as tech-forward and with targeting to ensure they reached job seekers with appropriate skill sets in West Michigan and adjacent states.
· In the first six months of the MEDC’s marketing push, advertising about EV job opportunities in West Michigan was seen more than 20 million times. The campaign led to nearly 800 actively interested job seekers and was then expanded to the rest of Michigan and surrounding states in the Great Lakes region with even greater success: more than 130 million impressions and 3,400 job leads.
· In six months of implementation with MEDC and West Michigan Works! support, Shape hired or trained in new skills more than 1,300 workers.
“The Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s Talent Action Team Electric Vehicle program is not just important to Shape but to the entire state of Michigan,” said Shape Corp. President and CEO Mark White.
“It signifies our commitment to leading the automotive industry’s future, ensuring we remain at the forefront of technological advancements and workforce development,” said White. “By investing in training and recruiting talent specifically for the electric vehicle sector, we are securing Michigan’s position as a hub for innovation and manufacturing excellence.”
White recognized three recent Shape employees during the press event whose interest in starting new careers in West Michigan with a thriving high-tech advanced manufacturer and their commitment to quality performance exemplifies why Kent and Ottawa counties are the state’s two fastest-growing counties in population. They were:
· Josh Ramirez and Katie Williams-Ramirez, a husband-and-wife duo who moved here from Illinois for Josh to become a Shape Corp. material handler and for Katie to become a new production supervisor at Shape’s 172nd Plant in Grand Haven, the largest U.S. plant in Shape’s system.
· Bruce Smith, who moved here from California to become a new Shape Corp. production, control and logistics team leader and who is a proud member of the LGBTQI+ community.
Fast Facts About Shape Corp.
· Shape Corp., based in Grand Haven, is a global tier 1 supplier of automotive and industrial components, specializing in innovative designs, testing and processing of metal and plastic systems aimed at enhancing safety and minimizing environmental impact.
· As a global leader in engineering and manufacturing, the company delivers advanced crash management and lightweight body structure solutions necessary for the industry’s shift toward more sustainable and safe vehicles.
· Employs ~ 1,567 workers in Ottawa County and 4,200 workers at 14 manufacturing plants and five tech centers worldwide.
· Debuted in 2023 a virtually fossil fuel-free steel bumper from materials created with new groundbreaking crash management technology.
· Aims to reduce energy usage by 30% in all its plants by 2025 and achieve carbon-neutral operations worldwide by 2030, powered by 100% renewable energy.
ABOUT THE MEDC’s TALENT ACTION TEAM
· The Talent Action Team (or TAT) is part of a bold, new strategy from MEDC. This new highly focused approach is designed to both develop and deliver talent specific to Michigan’s new, tech-forward economy in areas where we have the most opportunity to grow.
· The Talent Action Team’s mandate is to position Michigan as second to none for top talent and investment so we can reverse the talent drain and create communities where generations will thrive because talent is the new currency of the 21st century.
· The Talent Action Team recognizes the talented, hardworking people of Michigan are not only our most precious natural resource, they also are the key to succeeding in the tech-forward economy.
· The transitioning of the automotive industry presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to uplift all Michiganders.
· Changing the equation won’t be easy. But our focused, industry-specific approach to talent development is guided by our mission to create a more secure and prosperous future for our children.
· Our approach to talent is different — it’s focused on specific, in-demand industries with incredible opportunities for growth like electric vehicles, mobility and semiconductors.
· To achieve our goals, we have convened with key partners and will continue to connect with employers, higher ed institutions, PK12 leaders and workforce development partners to strategically grow these high-demand industries of the future.
· The Talent Action Team is leading the charge to secure Michigan’s position as a worldwide hub for innovation and prosperity and we’re already getting results.
ABOUT WEST MICHIGAN WORKS!
· A strategic workforce development partner, West Michigan Works! Business Solutions helps businesses attract, train and retain a skilled workforce for today and the future.
· West Michigan Works! is one of 16 agencies within Michigan’s workforce development system.
· Having created the first integrated workforce development system in the country, Michigan has long been a leader among the nation’s workforce systems.
· West Michigan Works! serves over 60,000 job seekers and supports over 3,200 employers annually in Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon and Ottawa counties.
· Its demand-driven approach relies on labor market data and input from employers and industries groups to identify common skill gaps, training needs and industry trends.
· WMW! Business Solutions works with economic development and community college partners across the region to offer workforce support and training dollars for business expansion or attraction projects that bring new jobs to West Michigan.
· Regional collaboration and problem-solving address talent, curriculum and advocacy issues on a broader level, resulting in a larger skilled labor pool and increased job placements.
· Through a variety of state and federal programs, Business Solutions help employers expand registered apprenticeships and access training grants for incumbent worker and on-the-job training to support the continued development of a strong, skilled and educated workforce.
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