Workforce Development

Educators at Marshall Public Schools and Kellogg Community College are working today to ensure young people in the region have the skills they need to take advantage of these jobs now and long into the future.

The Regional Manufacturing Technology Center (RMTC) at Kellogg Community College (KCC) is home to KCC’s Industrial Trades and Workforce Solutions department. The department’s innovative approach provides training on a walk-in basis or scheduled to meet production schedules; and can happen at the worksite, RMTC, or any other community location.

Also among KCC's facilities is the Eastern Academic Center, located at 14055 26 Mile Road in Albion, just off of I-94. The nearly 20,000-square-foot facility opened in 2001 and it includes a new welding lab as well as a electrical and mechatronics lab. The welding lab includes eight welding stations and associated equipment to expand KCC’s welder training into eastern Calhoun County.

Marshall Area Jobs, Opportunities, & Recreation (MAJOR) Campus:

• Granger
• Hoffman Brothers
• Shafer Redi-Mix
• Stantec
• SME

Future BlueOval Battery Park Michigan:

• Walbridge
• Ford BlueOval Battery Park Michigan
• Iafrate Construction
• Wade Trim

Marshall Manufacturing Collaborative:

• Tenneco
• Eaton
• Tribal Manufacturing
• Marshall Excelsior
• NN/Autocam

Details and new available on the Walbridge website for this project.

Information about the project is on the Ford website for BlueOval Battery Park Michigan.

Marshall area companies benefit from numerous programs offered by organizations and higher-learning institutions. These offerings help employees enhance skills, assist management to implement innovative strategies, and ultimately grow their businesses. Learn more about some of these programs below.

Michigan Works! Association has a history of innovation to provide service and support to the Michigan workforce development system, and is an integral partner in the state’s economic future. Services include screening and hiring programs, on-the-job training funds, worker opportunity tax credits and ongoing training strategies. Connect with Michigan Works Southwest online.

Assisting small and medium-sized businesses since 1991, The Center provides seminars, training, and other services to help develop business leaders, drive innovation, and promote strategies for businesses to grow and achieve greater profitability. Learn more about The Center’s offerings here.

Apprenticeship.gov is the one-stop source to connect career seekers, employers, and education partners with apprenticeship resources. It features apprenticeships across industries, information about programs started by employers, and ways to become an apprentice.

Michigan Works and Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA), along with the Calhoun County Intermediate School District, have State Apprenticeship Expansion grant funding to assist with out-of-school and in-school youth pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship funding. Kellogg Community College has information about apprenticeships and related opportunities on its website.

NN/Autocam partners with local schools to provide apprenticeships and cooperative education paths for students interested in machining, manufacturing, and maintenance roles. It operates in various forms based on the partner school and the site, but structurally each gives participants an opportunity to earn technical course credits or a degree while they work. This “learning in context” provides a variety of options to help employees develop technical skills through a combination of academic and on-the-job experiences. More information is available online and in the video below.

Michigan Intermediate School Districts (ISD) are governmental agencies organized at the county or multi-county level that partner with and assist local school districts to provide programs and services. The Calhoun County ISD is a key partner in Marshall’s workforce development. The Calhoun Area Career Center works to educate students and foster their growth in skills necessary for success.

Career Academies and Certificate Programs

Distinctive offerings at the region’s community colleges offer workers a leg up in their industry from automotive to welding to wind turbine technicians. Intense and extensive industry-level hands-on training prepares workers to excel in their chosen fields such as mechatronics. Check each school for availability or contact us to discuss developing specific training.

• Kellogg Community College
• Kalamazoo Valley Community College
• Glen Oaks Community College
• Lake Michigan College
• Southwestern Michigan College
• Baker College

Our regional Michigan Works! office connects people who need jobs with companies who need to fill jobs throughout the state. Funded by state and federal governments through the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth, Michigan Works! is a free service to both employers and job seekers. Services include screening and hiring programs, on-the-job training funds, Worker Opportunity Tax Credits and ongoing training strategies. Marshall is part of Michigan Works! Southwest, serving Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph Counties.

Connect With Michigan Works

Regional Manufacturing Technology Center

The Regional Manufacturing Technology Center (RMTC) at Kellogg Community College serves a training facility for employees of area businesses. Innovative and community-driven, training initiatives respond to the region’s needs quickly and effectively. Programs are available both on a walk-in basis and through prior scheduling, and may take place at the RMTC itself, a specific worksite or another community location.

Advanced Manufacturing Career Consortium

With the lack of qualified candidates to fill entry-level, technician-level and engineering job openings in Southwest Michigan, the Advanced Manufacturing Career Consortium formed in 2011. Today, 158 local manufacturing companies and 17 service provider organizations are invited to meet quarterly to discuss and develop innovative and integrated strategies to address this crucial issue, including on-the-job training, apprenticeships, career advancement, and payment of education.

Regional Intermediate School Districts

In Michigan, an Intermediate School District (ISD) is a governmental agency organized at the county or multi-county level that partners and assists a local school district in providing programs and services. The Calhoun County ISD is a key partner in workforce development in Marshall.

Continuous Improvement Users Group

The Continuous Improvement Users Group is a collaboration of Southwest Michigan companies dedicated to sharing best practices and seeking ideas to improve efficiency and productivity. Continuous Improvement, Total Production Management, Six Sigma and other lean practitioners network on a monthly basis either through tours of best practice or topical discussions. Express your interest to learn more here.

Western Michigan University’s Center for Advanced Vehicle Design and Simulation

The Center for Advanced Vehicle Design and Simulation (CAViDS) is an integrated consortium that exists between the university and industry using applied research and computer simulation to make changes to vehicle design and implement repair/replacement issues. Find out more about the CAViDS Consortium.

Western Michigan University College of Aviation

Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation offers the only comprehensive aviation program at a public university in Michigan, and with over 700 undergraduate students. With core work being done in neighboring Battle Creek, MI, it is one of the largest aviation programs in the nation.