News and Success Stories

There are not many better ways to get employed than to already know how to do the job you are applying for. Thanks to the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA), local students are being given the opportunity to do just that, by way of apprenticeships. KRESA manages the Career and Technical Education (CTE) grant…

Meet Aaron Tabb, Michigan Works! Southwest Shining Star for April 2024! Aaron’s passion for his work shines through in his consistent dedication and the quality of his contributions to Michigan Works! Southwest, which includes a proactive attitude and willingness to assist wherever needed. His actions are truly commendable and show great initiative and dedication to…

By Ben Hoger, Michigan Works! Southwest When Jacquelyn Murray was asked to explain what Marshall Excelsior Company does, it didn’t take long before she mentioned their partnership with Michigan Works! Southwest, a local agency that has been foundational in helping Marshall Excelsior Company transition and grow through corporate change. As the Director of Human Resources at…

Michigan Works! Southwest extends congratulations to Austin Edwards on his accomplishments as a youth apprentices and Hi-Tech Electric Company for their dedication to preparing, empowering, and transforming the local workforce through advancing information technology in Southwest Michigan!

Watch the 2024 MWSW Impact Award Video!

Meet Latesha Griffin, Career Navigator for Michigan Works! Southwest and Shining Star for March 2024! Latesha goes above and beyond to ensure customers receive top notch service, not only in Battle Creek, but in Albion as well. She provides exceptional service and creates a very welcoming and positive environment for customers seeking support. Latesha is…

Meet Hannah Klein, Career Navigator for Michigan Works! Southwest and Shining Star for February! Hannah Klein, Career Navigator for Michigan Works! Southwest, frequently assists with organizing events and navigating last-minute schedule changes. She stands out as the best person to go to with general questions regarding services offered at the Calhoun County Service Center. Additionally,…

To most people, laser assisted machining, or LAM, sounds extremely complicated; add an ultra-precision lathe to that, and it sounds like something from a science-fiction movie. However, it is all very real, and is happening right here in Southwest Michigan at a company called Micro-LAM. Micro-LAM participates in the ultra-precision optics market by not only supporting the manufacturing of ultra precision optics, but by manufacturing capital equipment as well…

Meet Lynn Page, Business Solutions Coordinator for Michigan Works! Southwest and Shining Star for January! Lynn has hit the ground running in 2024. Through doing incredible research into how employers and job seekers can utilize the MiREACH grant, she has identified ways to connect them to this resource. Lynn has taken on several speaking engagements…

The phrase “it takes a village” usually applies to raising children, but Donovan McVey and Joshua Gray are taking the unique approach of applying that to new local businesses. McVey and Gray are co-founders of the business consulting firm Room 35 in Kalamazoo, which focuses on sustained accelerated growth for construction companies…

Meet Shawn DeYoung, December’s Shining Star! Shawn is a strong advocate in the community for Michigan Works! Southwest and is dedicated to building deep relationships with local employers. Through heartfelt and meaningful actions, Shawn continually goes above and beyond to serve employer customers! Shawn is thoughtful in all the work he does as a member…

LANSING, Mich. — Four Battle Creek employers earned honors Wednesday in a ceremony following a roundtable discussion at Kellogg Community College aimed at recruiting more area businesses to offer Registered Apprenticeships to build the local talent pipeline.

Michigan Works! Southwest is pleased to announce the digital publication of the 2023 Annual Report! The past year was filled with many achievements and successes as Michigan Works! Southwest worked wholeheartedly to prepare a qualified workforce to meet the current and emerging needs of business and industry and foster collaborative partnerships to empower a compassionate,…