LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Governor Gretchen Whitmer created a new development taskforce and discussed PPE access for reopening businesses during a press conference on Friday afternoon.
At the live event in Lansing Whitmer announced that she had signed an executive order that morning creating the Michigan Workforce Development Board, part of her plans to coordinate the economic recovery and increase the overall skilled workforce in the state.
“This group of leaders will be instrumental in bringing together efforts and partners from key industries to expand our workforce, economy, and educational attainment efforts,” Whitmer said in a statement made earlier about the board’s creation.
The board is responsible for the improvement of job opportunities and workforce development in the community, replacing the Michigan Future Talent Council. Board members will include local community and business leaders that will assist the governor with Michigan’s plan to achieve goals in the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Whitmer has stated that she aims to have the state workforce achieve a 60% attainment rate for post-secondary education by 2030, saying that the task force will help in identifying how to expand access to education.
“Preparing the State’s workforce for jobs of the future and making sure that Michigan wins on talent will be incredibly important as we work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to working with these key industry, labor and community leaders, utilizing their diverse perspectives as we build a stronger Michigan together,” said Jeff Donofrio, Director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
Access to personal protective equipment for reopening businesses was another area the governor says the state is working to expand.
She touted the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Pure Michigan Business Connect Program, which on Wednesday announced that it had created an online portal to support the PPE needs of businesses about to resume operations.
“Through the procurement platform, we can help employers access the PPE that they need to ensure that their employees feel safe coming back to work, and also supports Michigan businesses that are critical to our economic recovery efforts, by connecting our employer needs with the manufacturers that can manufacture these critical supplies,” said Whitmer.
As of Friday, more than 900 Michigan companies in need of PPE signed up from the Pure Michigan Business Connect Portal to procure the supplies, and nearly 1,800 suppliers of the equipment have also signed on to the program.
Whitmer is encouraging both those in need of PPE and those able to supply the equipment to register through the portal’s webpage to increase the availability of the equipment.
