Granholm proposes 'No Worker Left Behind'

In State of State, she will discuss training, college for those displaced, as well as early inmate release.

Detroit News staff and wire reports

LANSING -- In her State of the State address tonight, Gov. Jennifer Granholm will call for two years of free training or community college for displaced workers -- an initiative she's calling "No Worker Left Behind."

The program would be paid for with federal money and some as yet unexplained state funds, and require workers to get certification or an associate's degree in a high-demand field, such as health care.

Also in tonight's address -- her fifth State of the State -- Granholm is expected to call for money-saving reforms, including consolidation of school districts and local governments and commuting sentences of elderly, infirm and nonviolent prison inmates.

The three-year "No Worker Left Behind" program would launch this summer, with around 7,500 workers getting free tuition for 2007-08 besides the 18,000 already being helped. More workers would be added in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 academic years.

"This is kind of a one-time window people can take advantage of," said Bob Swanson, director of the state Department of Labor & Economic Growth.

A spokesman for the Michigan Community College Association said his group welcomes the chance to help more displaced workers, but noted that the governor, while expecting community colleges to handle more students, has cut community college budgets in recent years.

"Even though you get a lot of money from tuition payments … (for the new) students, it doesn't cover the cost of setting up a whole new section," Mike Hansen said.

"You can't just ramp up overnight and double capacity in these programs."

Despite the free tuition, Hansen and Swanson said it might be a difficult sell to get workers in their 30s and 40s to take classes toward a new career.

"Getting people to realize that they do need to go back and update their skills is going to be a tricky issue," Hansen said.

"Free or not, it's getting them back in the classroom that will be the tough assignment."

In tonight's speech to a joint session of the legislature, Granholm will offer incentives to encourage school districts and municipalities to share administrative and other services, said spokeswoman Liz Boyd.

The state has 553 school districts, 57 intermediate school districts, more than 200 charter schools, 83 counties, more than 1,200 townships, 259 villages and 274 cities with fewer than 10,000 residents that could be targets for consolidation.

And she'll recommend releasing some older and "medically fragile" inmates deemed not to be a safety threat to the community -- and possibly nonviolent drug offenders.

A report to lawmakers by state corrections officials last week said Michigan's prison population is the highest in its history, and prisons will be full by September.

"These reforms are all part of our budget-balancing effort," Boyd said.

The cost-saving measures are intended to help balance a state budget that is $800 million out of whack this year and about $3.5 billion in the red over the next 18 months.

The state spends $1.9 billion annually to put 51,000 people behind bars.

The corrections system also handles another 75,000 parolees and probationers.