September 2023 Economic Development Update

First-of-its-kind hospitality Program Comes to Saginaw County

The Michigan Hospitality Foundation announced that a hospitality and tourism management program is now offered at Saginaw Career Complex in conjunction with the Bavarian Inn. Saginaw is one of eight high school programs in the state to launch this year with the goal of exposing students to new opportunities and careers. High school students will now be able to earn the hospitality and tourism specialist credential. It is the preferred method to meet Michigan’s hospitality standards. The program is the first of its kind in Michigan, using the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute curriculum with support from the Bavarian Inn. The program will launch this fall with students spending four days a week at the Bavarian Inn and one day of classroom instruction at the career complex. It will give students hands-on learning outside the classroom with real-world examples.

Coming Home East MI Hiring Mixer

Looking for an awesome career in the eastern portion of the Great Lakes Bay Region – Arenac, Bay, Midland or Saginaw Counties? Discover your opportunity to connect with world class employers from the region and learn more about what makes this region a wonderful place to call home.

Ready to discover your career? Our Coming Home East MI event will feature up to 30 regional employers from high-demand industries with operations in Arenac, Bay, Midland and Saginaw Counties.

This year’s event particularly focuses on amazing opportunities in engineering, healthcare, and business operations!

October 26, 2023

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Pierce Road Bar and Grill

2903 Pierce Rd.

Saginaw, MI 48604

Be sure to also follow us on Facebook and Instagram for up-to-date information!

Government Contracting 101

The federal government spends over $400 billion on contracts for goods and services, and the State of Michigan has over 1,100 multi-year contracts worth billions of dollars.

This Government Contracting event is designed to share details of this large government market and allow companies to learn the basics of government contracting.

The Saginaw Future Region 5 APEX Accelerator will provide a brief overview of different Federal Agencies and avenues to explore opportunities. Those in attendance will walk away with an understanding of where to begin and how to pursue Government Contracting work in an efficient and effective manner. Additionally, we will discuss how the APEX Accelerator can serve as a free resource for contracting knowledge.

September 27, 2023

10am-12pm

Saginaw Future Inc.

515 N. Washington Ave., 3rd Floor

Saginaw, MI 48607

Global Detroit International Candidates and Students Survey

Global Detroit is surveying employers about their hiring practices and experiences working with international candidates and international students, in efforts to bridge the gap between high-skilled global talent and employers. As a valued partner connected to employer groups, your insights and collaboration are pivotal in enhancing the hiring process. Results from these surveys will be used to inform our talent attraction and employer engagement strategies and to improve Michigan employer access and connection to high-skilled international talent to help fill unmet talent demands. We hope you'll consider completing and disseminating this survey across your network of employers, HR departments, talent acquisition, and others engaged in the hiring process. The survey is designed to take no more than 10 to 15 minutes, and will close on September 29 at 5pm EST.

All survey respondents will be entitled to:

One free hour of consulting with Global Detroit on hiring international student talent; AND
One entry into our prize drawing. We are offering four chances to win. One GRAND WINNER will receive a $200 gift card, while three additional PRIZE WINNERS will each receive $100 gift cards. The gift cards either can be a Visa gift card, Amazon gift card or a travel voucher of equal value towards a flight to get that vacation jump started!

More than one staff member from the same company can submit a survey and qualify for the prizes, however, the free hour of consulting is limited to one hour per company. We are specifically looking for surveys from staff who touch on various aspects of hiring, talent acquisition and staffing strategies.

We believe that your network's collective input will contribute to refining our initiatives, and appreciate your work in strengthening Michigan's workforce. Thanks for your consideration and partnership with us.

Covenant HealthCare Introduces Covenant Children's Hospital

Beth Charlton, president and CEO of Covenant HealthCare, and Dr. Michael Fiore, Pediatric Intensivist and Pediatric Medical Director of Covenant HealthCare, recently introduced the Covenant Children’s Hospital.

As the region’s children’s hospital, Covenant HealthCare:

Is a member of the Children’s Hospital Association.
Is an ACS Verified Pediatric Trauma Center, one of eight hospitals in Michigan verified to care for the whole family in an emergency.
Delivers more than 3,000 babies each year at the Covenant Birth Center and has a Level III Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU), offering the highest level of critical care for infants.
Has a Regional Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), serving mid-Michigan and the northern lower Michigan region for critically ill infants and children through the age of 17. The only PICU north of Flint.
Offers extensive clinical programs for children (autism, rehabilitation, sleep, and more).
Is home to the CMU College of Medicine Pediatric and Obstetrics & Gynecology Programs.
Provides community-based urgent care through MedExpress.

Michigan Internship Program

Michigan STEM Forward is a statewide program of Michigan Economic Development Corporation that matches students attending Michigan colleges and universities with internship opportunities at the state’s leading innovative companies. Companies do not have to be in a specific industry, but all internships must be STEM-focused.

STEM Forward provides students meaningful career experience and promotes job retention in the state, while providing financial support to companies who hire these interns.

Three steps for employers to participate:

STEP 1: Submit a (one-time) Company Application form. This is an online form that can be completed in five minutes or less. Once approved, employers can begin submitting internships for review. All employers interested in participating in STEM Forward – whether you’ve participated in the past (recent or otherwise) – will need to complete this form. It takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.

STEP 2: Submit internship(s) for program funding consideration. We’ve created a simple form to collect basic information about the internship – and the intern – to confirm that it qualifies. Once your Company Application form is approved, you’ll receive a link to the online Internship Submission form so that you can get that into us as soon as possible. The form must be submitted at least 2 to 3 weeks before each internship start date – at least 3 weeks for new interns and at least 2 weeks for returning interns. This is to help ensure a smooth payroll enrollment process for both the employer and intern. Internships that start earlier than that time frame will not qualify.

STEP 3: Enroll in the payroll system. Once the internship has been approved, our third-party payroll processor will connect with the employer and the intern to get the onboarding process completed. Please note, Fall 2023 internships must end by December 22, 2023, to ensure timely payment.

For companies who had a Summer 2023 STEM Forward intern who is returning to intern with them for the fall semester, the onboarding process is much simpler!

The hourly minimum wage is still $15 per hour for this program, but the minimum number of weeks does not have to be 10.

MEDC’s employer-match contribution is still up to $3,000 for full-time interns (30 hours or more) and up to $1,500 for part-time interns (29 hours or less).

Interns must be in university or college (this includes community college) – or recently graduated from – to qualify. They must also have a Michigan home address – whether it’s because they live here, attend or recently graduated from school here, or have family here.

Hausbeck Pickles

& Peppers

Community Celebration & Pickleball Tournament

The family-owned and -operated company underwent a $6 million expansion in 2019, expanding its footprint and workforce. Now, it’s preparing to celebrate a milestone anniversary — 100 years.

To commemorate the special occasion, a community celebration will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, at Garber Courts, 1760 Fordney in Saginaw. The party will include live music by Stone Street Revival, food provided by From Scratch and featuring Hausbeck products, and free pickleball demonstrations and lessons.

And the pickleball fun continues Saturday, Oct. 14, with 50 mixed doubles teams in three divisions competing for “pickle-perfect prizes.”

Founded in 1923, Hausbeck Pickles & Peppers, located at 1626 Hess Ave., processes about 40 million pounds of cucumbers and 32 million pounds of banana peppers and jalapenos annually. Its products are shipped to destinations across the country.

Saginaw's Garber Courts Receives 2023 USTA Outstanding Facility Award

The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) recently announced that the Garber Courts in Saginaw, Michigan, is a winner in the USTA’s annual Outstanding Facility Awards program, which recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities throughout the country.

Originally built 1946, the Foundation recently completed a full rebuild of the courts and main building for a total investment of $2 million. The facility now provides a number of amenities to the community including backboards, a viewing patio, a pro shop and community gathering space. The Garber Courts are managed by the Urban Racquet Sports Foundation, which is also missioned to reach and mentor underserved city youth there and at other venues, while providing vastly improved recreational and exercise opportunities for adults.

The USTA held a special award ceremony for Urban Racquet Sports Foundation on opening day of the US Open in Flushing Meadows, NY. They will receive a wall plaque and an all-weather sign, which can be mounted at the facility.

Help Us Solve the Child Care Crisis

We’re proud to be part of a coalition working to improve the child care crisis in East-Central Michigan! Please help us solve the crisis by taking the applicable survey and sharing them with others:

Parents & Families:

https://forms.gle/rp71TejM8Dj52qi16

Child Care Providers, Owners, and/or Directors:

https://forms.gle/iTVUM9QoRbUKqBba7

Saginaw Downtown Development Authority Update

The Saginaw Downtown Development Authority supports and promotes special events in Downtown and Old Town Saginaw. The Special Event Sponsorship Program even provides grant funds. Below are recently held events.

The Saginaw Economic Development Corporation's Small Business Expo celebrated it’s 10th year! The Expo featured more than 40 vendors under the outdoor pavilion area at the SVRC Marketplace.

The Dear Momma mural reveal from The Great Mural Project was recently held at 126 N. Franklin St. (Bearinger Building). Featured artists - John Vasquez, DeVaughn Collins and Kayla Peake-Trautner.

The Old Town Saginaw Showdown was recently held featuring five Saginaw and five artists from across the State of Michigan. Food, music and art were celebrated under the Court St. Bridge.

Going Pro in Michigan Talent Fund

Going Pro Talent Fund (GPTF) is a competitive grant that helps employers by assisting them in training and retaining current employees and developing the skills of new hires. Training is customized to meet the employers needs and the employees skill levels. Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! will be presenting information sessions on the 2024 Cycle 1 GPTF award. Employers interested in learning about this statewide competitive award are encouraged to participate.

The Going PRO Talent Fund information sessions

will cover all updated 2024 information:

Application Period
Program Elements
Employer Participation
Eligibility
Allowable Training
Award Management
Criteria for Funding

The award process is competitive and funds are allocated quickly. Employers in our region must submit a Going PRO Talent Fund application through Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! to qualify. A complete and accurate application is critical, and attending an information session is the best way to get started! Please contact Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! Business Services Team with questions at: 1 (833) 531-1945 x6476 or [email protected]