New Opportunity Center Offers Hope to the Low-Skilled

Despite Michigan’s 7.2% unemployment rate, hundreds of local job openings remain unfilled due to a lack of qualified applicants. The new Opportunity Center, a partnership between Michigan Works! and Heartland Alliance, is now offering free training to help alleviate this problem. The Opportunity Center offers jobseekers career planning assistance, refresher courses in basic math and reading, and vocational training for high-demand industries.

Students pursue one of four vocational tracks, including Construction, Landscaping, Hospitality and Culinary Arts. The tracks were chosen based on local employer demand. “Labor market studies project that over 42,000 new Berrien County jobs will be created within these industries in the next seven years” explains Michigan Works! Executive Director, Todd Gustafson. “If we don’t train our local workforce with the right skills, employers will be forced to recruit from outside of the area, or move to another region entirely. Ensuring all local jobseekers have access to relevant training is one of the best things we can do to promote regional economic health.”

Students at the Opportunity Center will experience on-the-job training in a real-world work environment in addition to their classroom curriculum. If a student has not completed high school, they will be given an opportunity to earn their General Educational Development (G.E.D.) Diploma.

“The balance of soft skills and hard skills training is what makes this program unique and effective” stated Director of Michigan Operations of Heartland Alliance, Rose Hunt Redd. “It’s hard to teach someone to be a competent chef when they can’t calculate basic measurements. This program will cover all the bases and give people a chance to succeed in a fulfilling career.”

The Opportunity Center is located in the Benton Harbor Mercy Center building. A location chosen for it’s accessibility by public transportation and walking distance from the surrounding community. The Opportunity Center is funded by Michigan Works! and does not charge tuition to students. The training is provided by Heartland Alliance, a non-profit, service-based, human rights organization. Program length ranges from two to twelve weeks, depending on the vocation.

Prospective students can apply at the Benton Harbor Michigan Works! Service Center at 499 West Main Street. Applicants must be over the age of 18 and reside in Berrien County. A required orientation will be held on the first Thursday and Friday of each month from 9:00a.m. until 12:00p.m. or 1:30p.m. until 4:30p.m. at the Opportunity Center at 960 Agard Avenue, Suite 180. Call (269) 926-2430 for more information.

Michigan Works, Berrien-Cass-Van Buren is a non-profit organization which aims to strengthen the regional economy through workforce development. They provide free employment services to businesses and jobseekers through five Service Centers in Benton Harbor, Buchanan, Dowagiac, Paw Paw and South Haven. ###