WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, both D-MI, announced three regional economies in Michigan will receive National Emergency Grants (NEGs) totaling $19,016,800 from the Department of Labor .  The NEG funds will help 8,632 workers train for new jobs in Southeast, Mid-, and West Michigan. Grants for this program were made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and target workers in these three regions for training that will help them transition to growing areas of their regional economies.

“Too many Michigan workers have continued to struggle through these tough economic times coping with layoffs and cutbacks that are not their fault,” Stabenow said. “These individuals want to work, and so I am pleased that these recovery funds will help Michigan workers acquire new skills for careers in growing sectors of our state’s economy.”

“As the economy begins to rebound and jobs grow, these grants will help prepare Michigan’s workers to take on new opportunities in emergent fields,” Levin said. “These recovery act funds are being used precisely for their intended purpose: getting our citizens back to work.”

This final installment of NEGs brings the funding that these three regions have received under ARRA to a total of $38,033,600. Over the 12 months that funding will be distributed, the grants will provide flexibility to serve workers affected by layoffs and training in the growing sectors of health care, solar manufacturing, and management, scientific, and technical consulting. Funds will be distributed through the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth.

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