The following is a message from Senator Levin:

More than 13,000 laid-off workers across Michigan will be assisted by three grants totaling $38,033,600, U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both D-Mich., announced today. The National Emergency Grants from the U.S. Department of Labor will go to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth for use in 27 counties.

“These grants will play a critical role in assisting the thousands of laid-off workers in Michigan, and I will continue to fight for more funding to support our workforce,” Levin said. “The retraining services these grants will provide will help lead to a diversified work force which can better adapt to new industries.”

“This money is critical to train many who have worked in the automotive sector for so long in growing job sectors like solar manufacturing, healthcare, and management,” said Stabenow. “Many people who are currently out of work throughout Michigan will be assisted by these grants.  This is a strong example of seeing stimulus dollars directly putting people back to work.”

The National Emergency Grants will focus on targeting workers dislocated from the automotive and other related industries to train them for growing areas of the regional economies, including healthcare, solar manufacturing, and management, scientific and technological services.

Michigan state officials estimate these grants will assist about 13,300 workers. The following counties are targeted by these grants: Allegan, Bay, Berrien, Cass, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Huron, Ingham, Kent, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Midland, Monroe, Muskegon, Oakland, Oceana, Ottawa, Saginaw, Sanilac, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Tuscola, Van Buren, Washtenaw and Wayne.

Of the total, $19,016,800 will be released immediately, and is provided for by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The remainder of the funds will be released as the state demonstrates a continued need.

For more information on the National Emergency Grants program, visit www.doleta.gov/NEG.