LANSING — Michigan must better align the talent of its people with the needs of job providers to ensure success in the new economy, according to Gov. Rick Snyder.
The governor announced the launch of an online tool that will help boost the state’s economic development and talent-enhancement goals. Pure Michigan Talent Connect is a talent marketplace available at www.MiTalent.org.
The site will feature tools that job creators and job seekers need to make better-informed decisions. Users will be able to assess their skills, evaluate the return on investment for an education or training program, browse careers and connect with mentors.
The site is being launched in phases for a June completion. The first phase, now available, features the Career Matchmaker and the Career Investment Calculator.
The Career Matchmaker helps individuals determine the industries and locations where their skills are in high demand today and where they are projected to be.
The Career Investment Calculator helps those who are pursuing training or retraining to make informed decisions.
Once completed, Pure Michigan Talent Connect will let Michiganders create an electronic talent portfolio early in their educational careers, driving everything form curriculum choices to career paths.
It is developed by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget.
“Tomorrow’s opportunities cannot be realized with yesterday’s skills,” Snyder said.
“It’s time to develop the next generation of talent. Today’s young employees will have multiple careers in their lifetimes. The skills they attain must be marketable and transferrable. We need to align the aptitudes and career passions of job seekers with the current and evolving needs of employers,” he  said.
Thousands of jobs remain unfilled despite Michigan’s 10.6 percent unemployment rate. The state faces significant staffing challenges in areas such as agriculture, nursing, engineering and welding.
The governor’s also cited  the need to do a better job of connecting Michigan veterans with career opportunities.
Despite their skills and transferrable technical expertise, there was an unemployment rate of 29.4 percent among Michigan’s Afghanistan and Iraq veterans in 2010.