Economic and Workforce Development

The Marshall Plan for Talent is a revolutionary approach to preparing students and adults for the careers of today and tomorrow. The Talent and Economic Development (TED) Department of Michigan is investing millions of dollars to create, expand, and support educators and businesses who create innovative programs for high-demand, high-salary, high mobility careers. Under the leadership of David Strubler, Ph.D., OU professor, Pastor Douglas P. Jones and the Greater Pontiac Community Coalition, a Marshall Plan proposal was submitted to target construction jobs to build small homes with Habitat for Humanity. Scholarships will be provided to Pontiac students/residents who participate in the PACE program.

The OU School of Business Administration is pleased to welcome underrepresented minority high school students to this week-long summer camp providing students the opportunity to learn about fundamentals of business disciplines and education. Students will learn about different business disciplines, including accounting, economics and marketing to name a few. Students will be led by experienced OU business professors to teach students about the basic and not-so-basic components of a career in business.

The Economic and Workforce Development team continues to meet with top employers in industries like healthcare, mortgage lending, aviation and aerospace, and commercial real estate. The goal is to conduct a needs assessment with top employers in the City of Pontiac to determine the projections and volume of entry-level hiring of talent.