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West Michigan TEAM was funded primarily by WIRED West Michigan, which provided the start-up funding for the collaborative, however, the majority of the funding now comes from the participating employers. West Michigan TEAM has created a sustainability plan to ensure long-term funding of its efforts through the leadership the James Vander Hulst, who now serves as the organization’s president and CEO.
 
To learn more about West Michigan Team, visit www.westmichiganteam.org. Or, contact James Vander Hulst at jvanderhulst
@westmichiganteam.org
 
and Ashleigh Emmerson at aemmerson
@westmichiganteam.org
.


WIRED Innovation: West Michigan TEAM
 
Innovation Champions: 
James Vander Hulst and Ashleigh Emmerson
 
West Michigan TEAM works with individuals, businesses and local government officials to help people gain and keep long-term, career-focused employment in West Michigan.
 
This Innovation provides the structure, insight and counsel necessary for employers to establish their own workforce support system, and utilizes West Michigan Team to aid in linking their employees with the public resources (transportation, childcare, legal assistance, etc.) available to them in situations where these factors may impact employment and retention (i.e. helping an employee find local childcare so she can continue her job). 
 
Each system developed helps employers to reduce the cost of turnover, while providing them a confidential “benefit” of assistance for personal situations that have the potential to impact long-term employment.
 
The Reentry Employment Resource Center (RERC) is one such system established through West Michigan TEAM. RERC prepares individuals released from Michigan’s prisons for the workplace and connects them with potential employers.
 
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