Stabenow Announces Job Training and Great Lakes Funding Wins for Michigan in Federal Budget Bill

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced that the Fiscal Year 2020 budget bill will help Michigan’s economy by expanding job training programs and protecting the Great Lakes. The U.S. Senate passed the year-end bill and it now heads to the President’s desk to be signed.

“This budget bill has important wins that will help grow our economy in Michigan. I’ve heard from so many businesses who are ready to hire if they can find workers with the skills they need. This bill will increase investment in job training programs that help workers quickly gain skills for in demand jobs,” said Senator Stabenow. “For the first time in nearly a decade, this budget bill also increases funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. It also increases funding to modernize the Soo Locks, and to combat Asian carp and other invasive species.”

The bill invests $40 million in a new grant program to help community colleges create and improve training programs for in-demand industries, such as manufacturing, information technology, health care, energy, and others. In Michigan, a lack of skilled workers leaves many jobs unfilled. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the skills gap will leave an estimated 2.4 million positions unfilled by 2028. Funds from this new program will provide workers opportunities in training program that lead to high-skilled, good-paying jobs.

The bill increases funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative for the first time in nine years—a seven percent increase to $320 million for next year. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is critical to cleaning up the Great Lakes, beaches, and waterways, and fighting invasive species like Asian carp. The bill also invests $125 million into the Soo Locks modernization project and invests $25 million to combat Asian carp and other invasive species.

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