ROGERS CITY – A number of community leaders, business owners, and city officials who are part of the Team Rogers City Committee learned Friday how they can partner with Alpena Community College to develop a stronger workforce.

During its meeting on Friday, the group heard from Dawn Stone, who is the college’s dean of workforce development, about how the college can partner with local businesses to provide additional training for its workers.

Stone said that, in the past, workforce development has typically been at the expense of the business. But, over the years, workforce development has changed, she said, so there are a lot of opportunities for funding through which the college can offer the training at minimal or no cost for the business.

“We’ll work with the state or with local foundations or with other organizations to be able to find funding for you, or with you,” she said. “It’s definitely a collaborative effort. We can’t do it on our own and neither can you.”

As an example, Stone said they had done some workforce development with the lime and stone company Carmeuse. She said they utilized the Michigan New Jobs Training programs, through which they were allowed to divert state taxes from the company’s newly hired employees to train them, free of charge.

Stone also talked about the importance of providing training to students who will be entering the workforce in the future. Every year, she said, ACC has about 40 to 45 students from Rogers City High School who are dually enrolled in courses such as algebra, political science, psychology and trades programs.

There is also a unique opportunity coming up on May 28 for middle and high school students to participate in an interactive, hands-on career readiness event called MiCareer Quest at the Industrial Arts Institute in Onaway.

The program, which is spearheaded by Michigan Works!, will introduce students to some of the most high-demand jobs in the industries of technology, construction, manufacturing and healthcare.

Stone said students will have an opportunity to build a concrete wall, try out a simulator to feel what its like to drive one of the big trucks out at Carmeuse, or fly a drone.

“It’s to show the full spectrum of what it means to be in one of those jobs,” she said of the event.

For more information on MiCareer Quest, visit discovernortheastmichigan.org/micareerquest.asp.

Crystal Nelson can be reached at 989-358-5687 or cnelson@thealpenanews.com.