The Governor described it as both the dark cloud on our recent past - and our challenge for the future.

"No worker left behind is training thousands of people for jobs that are open right now," the Governor said in her speech.

That was the program she introduced last year to help.

Seventeen year old Raymond Perez is its target audience.
He wasn't doing well in school, and his family needed income, so he went to Michigan Works for training.

"They taught me how to respond to people, how to make a portfolio... always be on-time...that's an important thing to remember," Perez said.

He's now finishing high school and working at Sparrow Hospital.
He and 24 other Michigan Works alumni were honored at the Capitol Wednesday.

"If i didn't get involved in this, I'd probably be working at Hungry Howie's or McDonald's," he said.

"Michigan Works is the front door to No Worker Left Behind," said Marcia Black-Watson of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth. "It really is the first stop for someone who's looking for a better job."

It was for John Sternhagen--a Riverdale man Granholm highlighted in her speech last night, and Michael Tollette from Albion.
Both men were laid off manufacturing jobs, and trained by Michigan Works for better ones.

"Anyone that comes in a glimmer of Michigan knows we need to develop new jobs," Luann Dunsford, CEO of Michigan Works, said.

Granholm is looking forward.

"it's time for us to fight for Michigan's future," she said in the State of the State Address.

One worker at a time.