The Michigan Works! Association Can Help You Prepare for a Post-COVID Economy

How will the workforce look different in a post-COVID economy?

While we don’t quite know yet what the post-COVID economy will look like, it is trending toward looking like a situation where there will be a big need for reskilling, retraining and upskilling of workers. There will be many workers who don’t have a job to go back to because the economic impact of this crisis is causing so many employers to go out of business.

This dynamic creates a situation in which people from many different sectors of the economy will be looking for new career paths. Prior to the COVID crisis developing and refreshing skills of American workers was already a priority for business and public policy leaders. It has now become that much bigger of a priority.

Beyond rethinking skillsets, one of the most important things we need to be focused on post-COVID is education and skills. A shortage of post-secondary education and credentialing among working-age adults contributes to the difficulty employers across the state are facing in hiring a skilled labor force. At the same time, high-demand jobs remain out of reach for the working poor who lack education and training.

How can the Michigan Works! Association help you prepare for a post-COVID economy?

The Michigan Works! Association has chosen to use this opportunity to develop a webinar series that has appeal not just in Michigan, but also across the nation. The “Power of Three” webinar series is a joint effort between the Michigan Works! Association, the California Workforce Association and the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals.

The first in the three-webinar series, which took place on June 8th, focused on what to expect in the next 90 days and what you should do to prepare. The second webinar, which is open to anyone interested in attending, will take place on July 30 and will focus on maximizing business engagement to support re-employment. Attendees will learn:

· How to utilize labor market information and workforce intelligence to understand the impact of COVID on hiring and employment.

· Current strategy/tools the workforce system uses to support employers and adapting to respond to COVID.

· Developing new relationships to expand business supports.

· Peer-to-peer sharing with Local Boards from across the country.

You can learn more about this webinar by listening to this interview or by visiting the Michigan Works! website at Michiganworks.org/training.

Why is Michigan Works! uniquely skilled to assist job seekers and employers during this crisis?

Prior to the COVID crisis, the U.S. labor market was in the best shape in nearly 50 years.

Millions of people have filed for initial unemployment benefits since mid-March as businesses closed to minimize the spread of the virus. The economy is not expected to bounce back quickly, so it is unknown what to expect as we recover.

Michigan Works! has a lot of experience from the Great Recession that is applicable to the current situation. Michigan Works! was integrally involved in the No Worker Left Behind program during the Great Recession. No Worker Left Behind introduced the concept of longer-term training, industry clusters and career pathways.

That concept has continued to live on through the Michigan Works! demand-driven approach in which Michigan Works! partners with local employers, educators, economic developers and community organizations to identify workforce needs and skills gaps in order to create a qualified workforce that addresses each region’s current future talent needs, while, at the same time, fueling the state’s economic future.

As the economy recovers, Michigan Works! stands ready to connect job seekers with employers to fill their talent needs. The lessons learned through NWLB have set Michigan Works! up very well to be the go-to source for workforce development needs during our recovery from this crisis.

Luann Dunsford, CEO, Michigan Works! Association