Category Archives: Jobs & Employment

Michigan Radio goes Up North in a Down Economy

Crooked Tree Arts Center by joseph a
Jennifer Guerra of Michigan Radio recently took a trip to northwest Michigan and produced three features on how organizations & individuals are dealing with economic challenges titled Up North in a Down Economy.
In addition to a story on the bright spot of growth that is the region's wine industry, [...]

Behind the scenes with the Michigan Works Film Class

Scott Allman has posted a cool video taking you behind the scenes at Michigan Works' new Film Training Class through Michigan State University & Lansing Community College. The class uses actual filmmakers like Michigan's Rich Brauer as instructors and retrains people to be able to work with movie crews. You can read about the class [...]

Chapter & Verse on the General Motors Bankruptcy

I read the news today, oh boy. by Alana M. Layer
Like many in Michigan, I felt a profound sense of shock and unreality at yesterday's filing by GM for bankruptcy. It will probably come as a surprise to no one that Michigan will feel the brunt of the effects:
In the latest round of cutbacks, announced [...]

Focusing on the Future at Ford

Rouge Plant, 1947 by Lynne's Lens
I came across this very cool photo from the heyday of the American auto industry yesterday. It's interesting to me to think about how deeply our nation identified with the manufacturing and innovation represented by these cars and how much goodwill Ford, GM & Chrysler were able to squander with [...]

M is for Monday … and Midwest, MCS, Michigan Agriculture and MORELS!

Morels ! by cedarkayak
The latest issue of Midwest Living feature on the Best Midwest Food Towns served up a platefull of restaurants in our region that might entice the culinary tourist. Their editors selected Traverse City as the #2 town and Ann Arbor #3. Also featured were a collection of recipes from Traverse City including [...]

NPR series "Remaking Michigan, Retooling Detroit"

Planet Detroit by paulhitz
National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" is currently running a series titled "Remaking Michigan, Retooling Detroit" which explores Detroit's struggle to regain vitality in the face of seemingly insurmountable economic conditions. It shows that there is beacon of hope out there if approached with creative, innovative thought mixed thoroughly with a good dose [...]

Bank bailout "tweak" to spur auto industry

APRIL 1, 2009 (Detroit): Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner spoke before an appreciative audience at a special press conference at the brand-new Rick Wagoner GM Dealership in Detroit this morning. Mr. Geithner said "Washington has heard the concerns of the auto industry and the Obama Administration remains deeply committed to helping the auto industry weather this [...]

Newspocalypse Now

Extra! Extra! by E. Brow
The story earlier this week that the Ann Arbor News would be ceasing publication caught many by surprise. Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry (who also wrote an essay on newspapers last week) writes that he was shocked by the announcement:
Not downsizing, not going to Internet-only publication. Closing, as in, going out of [...]

Green Today, Jobs Tomorrow Conference ~ May 11th, 2009

The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth has extended early registration for the May 11 “Green Today, Jobs Tomorrow” conference at the Lansing Center through March 31 at migreenjob.com.
Registrants can save at least $25 by signing up today for the $110 early registration fee. The registration fee increases to $135 from April [...]

Windmill School in Kalamazoo

windmill (sepia) by idiot_girl
In Training Turbine Installers: A Michigan First, the blog Got2BeGreen tipped us off to:
A school in southwest Michigan called Kalamazoo Valley Community College is launching a first-of-its-kind program to train people to install wind turbines. If you want to get one of those green jobs that Van Jones and the others keep [...]