Page 30 - LRCC FOCUS November 2021

ADVOCACY FOCUS MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2021

State Budget Includes Investments in Talent, Workforce,

Infrastructure and Childcare

ov. Whitmer signed the Fiscal Year careers in the building and construction trades.
(FY) 2022 state budget, which began
Gon Oct.1. The total state budget, which All of these talent and workforce development
includes the K-12 school aid budget, is $70B. initiatives will play a significant role in reaching
There were several key areas of investment the Michigan’s Sixty by Thirty goal.
that were important to Lansing Regional
Chamber members. Childcare (Policy Priority: Talent &
Workforce Development)
To view the state budget bills (Senate Bill
82 & House Bill 4400), head to The state budget expands low or no-cost
www.legislature.mi.gov. childcare to 105,000 more kids. By expanding
childcare, parents can have peace of mind and
Below is a snapshot of key areas of offer kids a safe place to learn, grow, and play.
investment important to Lansing Regional It helps small businesses continue staffing
Chamber members: up, addressing the worker shortage by addressing a key
underlying cause—lack of childcare. It also delivers a one-
Talent & Workforce Development Initiatives (Policy time $1,000 bonus to childcare workers, who work hard
Priority: Talent & Workforce Development) every day to care for our kids and provides resources to
refurbish and repair childcare facilities.
Futures for Frontliners ( $25 million) Assists frontline
workers to attend community colleges tuition-free. Infrastructure (Policy Priority: Regional Infrastructure)

Going PRO ($35 million) awards employers’ financial The state budget invests nearly $200 million to repair or
assistance in training, developing, and retaining current and replace around 100 bridges in serious or critical condition
newly hired employees. and create 2,500 jobs. The $200 million investment is on top
of the work underway through Rebuilding Michigan, which
MI Reconnect ($55 million) provides a last-dollar is investing $3.5 billion to fix state roads and highways.
scholarship to individuals over the age of 25 with a high
school diploma seeking an associate degree or Pell-eligible State Raining Day Budget (Policy Priority: Local
skill certificate. Government Financial Health)

Statewide Pre-Apprenticeship Program ($8 million) The state budget puts $500 million into Michigan’s rainy-
cconnects individuals that are unemployed or day fund. This brings the state’s rainy-day fund to nearly
underemployed with training and resources to advance $1.4 billion. l

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