Michigan Works! Announces Scholarships for 27 Healthcare Students

December 14, 2007 Benton Harbor, MI - Michigan Works! will spread the spirit of giving this Tuesday by awarding $225,000 in scholarships to 32 healthcare workers from the tri-county area. The scholarships will pay for their college tuition and books.

The scholarships are funded by a $1.9 million Department of Labor Grant awarded to Michigan Works!, which has allocated $500,000 to local community colleges for capacity building and improvements to their healthcare departments. The remainder will go toward scholarships for over 100 students attending Lake Michigan College (LMC) or Southwestern Michigan College (SMC) over a three-year period.

"I am very, very thankful for this scholarship," exclaimed Wanda Malone, who will begin the Registered Nursing program at SMC next month. She plans to open a home healthcare business after earning her certification. "Maybe after I get my business off the ground, I can afford to put somebody else through nursing school and keep passing the torch". She is currently working as an LPN at a nursing home facility. "I love it", she says, "but I know more doors will open for me with an RN".

Michigan Works! plans to help fill the need for skilled healthcare workers by using a career-ladder model designed to backfill vacancies created when employees advance in their careers. The approach will foster an adequate supply of nurses without creating vacancies in other occupations. For example, entry-level workers will train to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), EMTs will become certified Paramedics, and Paramedics and Licensed Practical Nurses will earn Registered Nursing degrees.

"It's imperative that our community healthcare providers have access to a skilled and credentialed workforce", stated Todd Gustafson, Executive Director of Michigan Works!. "Labor market projections predict a 16.9% increase in demand for trained employees by 2012 in the tri-county area."

The awards will be announced during a special reception this Tuesday at 4:30pm at the Michigan Works! Benton Harbor office. Scholarship recipients and their families will attend a presentation by Elaine Foster, Dean of Nursing and Academic Studies at Southwestern Michigan College, Bob Harrison, Executive Dean of Community and Business Services at Lake Michigan College, and Todd Gustafson, Executive Director of Michigan Works!

Michigan Works! is currently accepting applications for the next phase of scholarships, which will be distributed in summer, 2008. 45 scholarships have already been granted.

Michigan Works! Berrien Cass Van Buren is a non-profit organization providing employment services to tri-county employers and jobseekers. They aim to strengthen the regional economy through Workforce Development. Contact Candice Elders at 1-800-533-5800 ext.1144 for more information.