Labor Force Assistance

A variety of training, placement and recruiting programs are available to Michigan, Oakland County and Rochester Hills businesses, including:

Michigan Talent Bank & Job Bank  Free online resume service for businesses and job-seekers. Accepts resumes from job seekers; allows employers to search online for potential    candidates (72-hour employer pre-registration process). More than 300,000 resumes and 40,000 jobs listed.

MichiganWorks! Service Centers  Rochester Hills is serviced by the Troy Career Center, located at 550 Stephenson Highway, Suite 400 in the City of Troy. Services are free and include access to the Michigan Talent Bank. Employer workforce development includes help in finding qualified workers; interview facilities for recruiting workers; information on customized training, labor markets, workplace accommodation and tax credits for new hires; and training incentives (on-the-job training based on worker eligibility). The Center also prepares youth and adults to enter or re-enter the workforce; with pre-employment and work maturity skills; readjustment services for dislocated workers; and school-to-work help. Call Troy Career Center, at (248) 733-1695 for assistance.

Michigan Training Fund (Economic Development Job Training) - Michigan's streamlined training program makes a pool of money available annually on a competitive basis to Michigan companies for specialized training to meet unique training needs, including youth apprenticeships, retraining for dislocated workers and upgrading technical skills for existing workers. Beginning in 2000, much of the training is distance learning. Vocational programs also are available through Michigan school districts and private trade schools. Funds can be used to create jobs or upgrade skills for existing workers. Grants are competitively awarded each November. For information, contact the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) at (517) 373-9808.

Michigan Technical Education Centers  Sixteen new technology training centers at local community colleges (M-Tec) provide programs for high-wage, high-skill, high demand occupations. Information is online at .  The nearest M-Tec is located at the Oakland Community College, Auburn Hills Campus.  Contact Sharon Miller at (248) 232-4180.

Michigan Trade Academies  Fourteen industry-led trade academies statewide specialize in training high-school students for high-wage, high-skill jobs in various fields, including manufacturing, finance, construction and health care. The Oakland County site, New Directions Institute in Pontiac, offers automotive technology and construction trades technology.

Michigan Virtual University  the nation's first technical school without walls, bringing the campus to the workplace. Provides education and training programs through distance-learning technology, including the Internet, intranets and extranets, satellite and video-conferencing, CD-ROMS and more. Brokers courses through Michigan's 15 public universities, 29 community colleges and 48 private colleges. Not a degree-granting institution.

Automation Alley  Oakland County's technology consortium of more than 500 high-tech firms. Membership provides access to comprehensive web site, including posting of corporate news releases and job announcements, as well as a wide range of programs, services and networking opportunities.

For more information, call Rochester Hills Planning and Development, at (248) 841-2577.