In 2007 the state of Michigan implemented The No Worker Left Behind Program.
The goal of No Worker Left Behind is to double the number of Michiganians trained for family-sustaining jobs in demand in the 21st Century knowledge economy. That is, to train 100,000 people over the next three years.
In the NWLB six-month report card they claim, NWLB is about lifelong learning. It’s about providing opportunities for people who have lost their jobs to improve their lives. It’s about creating a workforce with skills to match the needs of business ─ which in turn, will help bring in more jobs and create more economic opportunity. It’s about aligning existing programs and funding streams to maximize the impact limited resources can have on a workforce system.
Additionally, according to the Governor of Michigan: “As we work to diversify Michigan’s economy, we also strive to help Michigan workers diversify their skills.” –Governor Jennifer Granholm.
Apparently, signing up for the program, meeting all the qualifications , attending all the meetings, completing the assessments, selecting a high demand occupation which is determined by the local Michigan Works Agency, and completing the financial aid eligibility isn’t enough to satisfy the approval committee to vote favorably for a candidate to begin a training program. An unemployed candidate who met all of the above criteria and completed all of the tasks was advised (after a few months) that they were denied the NWLB tuition grant based on an assessment that the candidate already had a marketable skill as a result of a (correspondence) course they‘d taken but had no experience in, a fact which was known from day one of the orientation and throughout their participation in the program.
Perhaps the diversity and opportunities noted in the aforementioned paragraph(s) applies to a selected few, because it definitely did not serve to benefit the unemployed individual who has been out of work for over a year without the assistance of unemployment compensation.
Interestly enough I too am aware of this issue.
However, your article does not appear to be complete.
So, so sad, what are we as citizens of these US are we to believe. Are the speaking out of both sides of the mouth? Can they be trusted to say what they mean and mean what they say?