LANSING – The House Appropriations General Government Subcommittee heard from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Michigan Land Bank on Tuesday, the agencies made their case for receiving the recommended funding for fiscal year 2014-15.

Michael Finney, president of the MEDC, said much of the program’s budget priorities for the next fiscal year is focusing on talent, filling the skills gap, and continuing to push for tourism investment and support for business and community development opportunities.

He said two programs – engineering talent and skilled trades equipment – are recommended to receive $12.5 million in new funding to be used by public universities and community colleges for capital improvements and equipment for high skilled, high demand occupations.

He also said $5 million in new funding is going to an automotive, engineering and manufacturing technology fund to “Help us really invest and send the right signals to the automotive world that Michigan really is the best place for them to come to continue to invest their limited resources.”

Finney boasted a program assisting the chronically unemployed. He said through collaboration with a University of Michigan professor, the corporation was able to employ 1,100 of those who are hardest to keep employed due to a variety of factors, including having limited skills and limited education. He said the wages for those jobs were more than $10 per hour.

As for tourism, the state is in the middle of the rest of the Great Lakes states when it comes to spending on programs, Finney said, but that’s where the state should be and it competes well with states like New York.

He also praised a recommended increase of $2 million for the arts and cultural grant program. He said it impacts all prosperity regions of the state increases resources going to local communities.

Finally, Finney said businesses requesting reimbursements from the corporation are over achieving regarding job creation. He said companies have created 973 verified jobs, though they only committed to 565 jobs.

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