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State of MI Announces This Year’s Going PRO Talent Fund Awards

A woman in a hard hat and vest holds a tool.

The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity is distributing training funds throughout the Upper Peninsula.

UPPER PENINSULA, Mich.—The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) recently announced that $1.7 million in training funds will be distributed among 63 Upper Peninsula businesses through the Going PRO Talent Fund (GPTF).

GPTF is a competitive funding program that can help Upper Peninsula employers train, develop, and retrain current employees and upskill new hires. The training plans submitted to the State by the employers must be short-term and fill a demonstrated talent need. It must also lead to a transferrable, industry-recognized credential for the employees who take part.

Companies across Michigan are using their share of the $40 million from the GPTF to train approximately 30,000 workers. Across the 15 Upper Peninsula counties, 63 GPTF applications were approved, totaling around $1.7 million in training funds for U.P. workers.

U.P. Michigan Works! Business Services Specialists helped Upper Peninsula companies apply for funding in the fall. Companies will start training their employees and receiving GPTF funds in early 2022.

“Our team set a record for bringing grant dollars to the Upper Peninsula,” said Erika Justus, Business Services Manager with U.P. Michigan Works! “We were seventh in the state for amount awarded.”

The Going PRO Talent Fund began in 2014 and has since had a positive impact on the Upper Peninsula workforce. Companies and employees benefit from the training funds. Learn more about GPTF by calling your local Michigan Works! office at 800-285-9675 or emailing contactus@upmichiganworks.org.

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Employers can learn more about our workforce development programs by visiting our Employers page.

Medicaid in the Upper Peninsula

Navigating health coverage and work requirements can be confusing, so here’s a simple guide on how the program works and who fills what role:

Medicaid is a health care program funded by the state and federal government that provides health care services to eligible, low-income Michigan citizens, including adults, children, the elderly, pregnant woman, and some people with disabilities.

  • Upper Peninsula Health Plan (UPHP) is a managed care organization licensed by the State of Michigan to provide Medicaid medical services. UPHP helps eligible members access healthcare services, providers, care management, and member support after they are enrolled in Medicaid. They are the only organization of this kind in the Upper Peninsula. 
  • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) administers Medicaid in Michigan, determines eligibility, manages enrollment through MI Bridges, and oversees Healthy Michigan Plan work requirement policies and exemptions.
  • Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! (UPMW) helps individuals connect with employment, education, training, and career services that may help them meet Healthy Michigan Plan work requirement activities and achieve their employment goals.

To learn more about Medicaid in the U.P, visit UPHP.com.