Keeping up with the ever-changing demands of the global marketplace is tough, but the resources available in the Kalamazoo Region make it easier. The area boasts several workforce training programs that allow local businesses to keep their employees at the forefront of new information, methods, skills and techniques.

Michigan Technical Education Center at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (M-TEC at KVCC)
M-TEC works with companies and universities to provide training programs that help build a stronger workforce for the community.

Programs include:

Manufacturing Pharmaceuticals Construction Trades Computer Aided Design Information Systems Technology Allied Health Metal Working Medical Supplies and Equipment Automotive Plastics

Customized training programs are also available to create solutions for companies' unique needs.

Kalamazoo & St. Joseph Counties Michigan Works!
Michigan Works! connects people who need jobs with companies who need to fill jobs throughout the state. Funded by state and federal governments through the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Michigan Works! is a free service to both employers and job seekers.

To retain the current workforce, Michigan Works! offers several workforce assistance programs, including Employee Enhancement Training, through the Incumbent Worker Program. This program allows companies to spend up to $3,500 to train each employee, depending on the company's training plan. It is a cost-effective way to help employees gain valuable new skills to keep pace with changing strategies and new technology. Past training programs have included computer skills, LEAN manufacturing, ISO and trade apprenticeships.

Employment services are available locally at Kalamazoo County's Service Center. Here, job seekers and employers can access a wide range of employment and training services through the Michigan Talent Bank, an Internet-based labor exchange. They also receive assistance with recruitment events, interviewing, employee training, workshops, screening applicants, collecting applications and space for small job fairs.

Some of Education for Employment's courses include:

Machine Tool Technology Computer Technology (A+) Automotive Technology Construction Trades Drafting Technology Electrical Technology - Construction Electro-Mechanical Technology Welding Aviation Technology Allied Health

Michigan's Economic Development Job Training Program
This state program is a major feature of the state's economic development efforts, seeking to ensure that Michigan has the training resources to retain and attract smart businesses and skilled people.

Careers in Manufacturing
Michigan's High-Tech Manufacturing Jobs Web Site, 'Careers in Manufacturing,' is a state-sponsored Web site inviting young people to explore the well-paid and intellectually demanding jobs available in today's emerging manufacturing industries. The site has information on career possibilities unheard of a generation ago, among them telematics, small technologies including nanotechnology, biosciences and manufacturing research in advanced technology vehicles and alternative sources of energy.