Tom Obrecht loves to learn. The retired steel executive is among hundreds of older students who fill seats in extended education classes offered by Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) – informal, diverse lifelong learning opportunities targeting many ages, including 50-and-up working people and retirees and also younger...
In northwest Michigan and around the state, manufacturing is strong. Manufacturers in Northwest Michigan Works! 10-county region added more than 2,400 jobs over the last five years – a 17 percent gain that eclipsed the state’s 14 percent manufacturing job increase – and the sector...
A popular state program that’s brought millions in worker training dollars to the Grand Traverse region is getting some business-friendly tweaks. The changes – and a new name – are coming to the Michigan Skilled Trades Training Fund, an initiative that wins praise in many corners. “This...
Making an award-winning wine takes more than good grapes. It takes a village. [caption id="attachment_15488" align="alignleft" width="200"] Coenraad Stassen, winemaker and estate manager at Brys Estate Vineyard.[/caption] To that end, Coenraad Stassen, winemaker and estate manager at Brys Estate Vineyard and Winery, has teamed up with vineyard managers...
New Michigan rules are on the way for those who prescribe prescription painkillers and other controlled substances. The requirements – like checking an online database of controlled substances dispensed in Michigan, and prescribing for acute pain no more than seven-day supply of opioids in a seven-day...
When the single-largest gathering of Michigan’s tourism industry convenes March 27-29 in Grand Rapids, it will be more than an opportunity to network and sharpen knowledge. The Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism will shed light on diversity – a topic top-of-mind throughout business and society....
In the more than two and a half years since its creation, Venture North Funding & Development has built a lending portfolio and name assisting small businesses. It’s now looking to go broader and deeper into the 10 counties it serves, tapping new partnerships and sources...
Opening three restaurants in six years is quick by anyone's standards. But with a little help from Northern Initiatives, Simon Joseph was able to do just that. “They’re more than just a lender,” said Joseph, owner and managing partner of Roaming Harvest food truck, Harvest, and Gaijin....
Kelly Dunham has seen many older job seekers join the ranks of drivers at the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA). And she’s interested in adding more to a BATA workforce that has an average age of 54 and reaches as high as 77, with a variety...
Funds to train the skilled trades are getting a big boost from the state. Starting Oct. 1, businesses can compete for a piece of the state’s Skilled Trades Training Fund (STTF), a $29 million competitive grant program. Last year’s STFF awarded $17.1 million to 450 applicants. In the...
