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The Oakwood Group, a privately-owned mid-sized manufacturing company established in 1945, specializes in designing and developing niche products, particularly excelling in the automotive marketplace. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, the company operates manufacturing facilities in nearby Taylor, Michigan, supported by the Southgate Michigan Works! Office.

The SEMCA Michigan Works! Southgate American Job Center was contacted by The Oakwood Group to address their growing workforce needs, focusing on providing stability and training for their advanced production processes. This partnership involved close coordination with The Oakwood Group’s management to understand their unique workforce requirements. The goal was to deliver tailored workforce development support, ensuring the company’s competitiveness in major industries such as automotive, defense, and the public sector.

Since 2020, the Southgate AJC has offered comprehensive support to The Oakwood Group’s workforce. From hands-on training strategies and the establishment of long-term workforce assets through apprenticeships to leveraging supportive resources from the State and Federal Government. Over the past two years, various workforce development programs, such as the Going PRO Talent Fund ($86,407) and WIOA’s On-the-Job Training Program ($22,600), have contributed over $100,000 to support The Oakwood Group’s workforce growth strategy. This investment has played a crucial role in creating stable, long-term workforce assets, addressing labor needs that have been stable for the first time in 15 years.