MICHauto today announced the next partnership supporting its statewide High-Tech Talent Strategy – a series of in-person events to engage and entice potential talent to locate and build careers in the state in collaboration with Hello West Michigan.
“High-tech talent is critical to Michigan’s future and our industry’s transition to the digital economy,” said Drew Coleman, Senior Director of MICHauto. “The partnership with Hello West Michigan will create opportunities to attract and retain these critical talented professionals and plug them into the rich business ecosystem of one of Michigan’s largest metro areas.”
“Talent remains a top issue for employers and the region,” says Rachel Gray, Executive Director of Hello West Michigan. “Through our strategic attraction efforts, plus new programs like Rapid Roots and the Say Hello Initiative, we are ensuring the West Michigan region is a magnet for top talent now and into the future.”
Memorable experiences and face-to-face conversations significantly impact an individual’s decision to relocate. The people most likely to relocate to Michigan are people who have been here and experienced what the state has to offer. This new partnership aims to create more of these experiences and positive exposures to the Great Lakes State. MICHauto will support Hello West Michigan in launching several pilot events throughout 2023, including:
- Tourism-to-Talent: The partners will host networking events hosted around popular tourist events that draw out-of-state crowds.
- Regional Alumni Events: Hello West Michigan will collaborate with the Grand Valley State University Alumni Office and accompany them on trips to different metros around the country to engage with their alums there and hold events.
- Resident Interview Weekend: Hello West Michigan will collaborate with the Spectrum Health Graduate Studies department to integrate lifestyle content and experiences into their Resident Interview Weekend, during which 1,500 candidates from medical schools outside the region and state gather to interview for the health system.
If the state of Michigan is going to successfully attract talent, the state will need a system to track and guide candidates. The partners will build a system to attract talent to Michigan, hoping to link it to other regional talent attraction efforts in the state. Hello West Michigan’s leadership in this space will help the state move beyond campaigns and ad metrics. It would enable the state to prove relocations, metrics, and ROI on campaigns.
This new partnership will support one of the four critical workstreams of MICHauto’s High-Tech Talent Strategy to strengthen Michigan’s global competitiveness in the automotive, mobility, and technology industries. That broader initiative is being funded by a grant through the state of Michigan’s Mobility Futures Initiative with a goal of growing high-tech talent in Michigan and bringing to life the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification’s MI Future Mobility Plan.
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About MICHauto
MICHauto promotes, retains, and grows Michigan’s signature industry as the state’s only automotive, mobility, and technology cluster association. MICHauto provides a platform for industry leaders and stakeholders to engage in advocacy, discuss industry priorities, improve the high-tech talent outlook, and create an innovation-friendly environment to support next-generation mobility developments. As the automotive and mobility industry continues to evolve, MICHauto serves as a trusted advisor and representative for the industry, ensuring Michigan maintains its global leadership and competitiveness. Learn more at michauto.org.
About Hello West Michigan
Started by local companies in 2007, Hello West Michigan promotes the West Michigan region as a place where business thrives and people want to live and work. It seeks to increase the rate of success member companies have in their effort to recruit top talent and collaborates with organizations across the region to help new residents and those interested in relocating find their fit in West Michigan. For more information visit hellowestmichigan.com.