U.S. Labor Secretary Visits Portage Skilled Trades Program as Michigan Grapples With Growing Workforce Shortages

Federal Officials Highlight Local Training Success

PORTAGE, Mich. — U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer visited Pro Services Academy in Portage on Monday to showcase the critical work being done to prepare Michigan workers for high-demand skilled trades careers.

The visit came during a time when the state is facing a severe shortage of qualified workers in manufacturing and industrial maintenance sectors. Secretary Chavez-DeRemer toured the Pro Academy facility and spoke with program participants about the importance of earning while learning.

"One million active apprentices was one of the very first executive orders the President said," recounted Secretary Chavez-DeRemer. "Labor and business together and say there's enough of an economic pie that we don't have to compete with each other. We can actually grow that pie and everybody can have a good living. And so that's where my focus has been."

The Pro Academy offers a state-licensed apprenticeship program for Industrial Maintenance Mechanic Journeyman certification. The program is designed for people who already have jobs and want to develop more specific skills that will help them earn higher wages.

Local Programs Fill Critical Gaps

Before people can access training at Pro Services, they can begin their journey for free at the Michigan Works office in Kalamazoo. Si'Erria Edmonds, a lifelong Kalamazoo neighbor, helps people get jobs in the skilled trades through a free program called Access for All.

"When people want to get started in the skilled trades, what's a good place to start?" Edmonds said. "With us of course."

The program trains people in OSHA compliance, as well as asbestos, lead, and silica awareness. Most importantly, it gets people ready for an apprenticeship.

"Folks are retiring, there is definitely a need—from anywhere from 5,000 or more apprentices. Not just here in Kalamazoo, but across the state," Edmonds said.

Graduates from the program are already working at the event center downtown, including an iron worker and a laborer who graduated this past February.

"They are careers. They are great. They come with benefits. They come with union support. It is an awesome opportunity," Edmonds said.

Growing Demand for Skilled Workers

A recent study conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a new loss of well over a million job vacancies in skilled trades, including construction, HVAC, electrical, plumbing and welding by the year 2030, and hundreds of thousands of new construction openings every year.

That's something Secretary Chavez-DeRemer says needs to be fixed by increasing enrollment in technical training. "Make American Skilled again matters," said Secretary Chavez-DeRemer. "It's the private sector that's going to drive this."

In talking with private industry, Chavez-DeRemer said her office always asks the same questions to connect employers to potential employees nationwide. "Who are you looking for? What are you are looking for, how fast do you need them? What's the connecting point," she said.

Chavez-DeRemer was invited to Pro Academy in Portage by West Michigan U.S. Congressman Bill Huizenga (R - MI). "My family's in construction," Huizenga said. "I'm seeing it, and I'm seeing the demand."

Local Impact

Pro Services trains people who are usually already on the job for more specific skills to help workers make more money. "You can't do it unless you have companies like Pro, who are going to say, bring them here, let's dedicate our time. But earn while you learn matters. We can't take them off the production line," Chavez-DeRemer said.

In a previous visit to Pro Services in February, Michael Cowles, a program participant, shared his experience. "A lot of companies don't give this to people. It's not available. To have this is a blessing," Cowles said.

The need for skilled workers continues to grow across Michigan as more experienced workers retire and new opportunities emerge in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Local programs like Pro Academy and Access for All are stepping up to meet this demand and provide pathways to stable, well-paying careers for Michigan residents.