Washtenaw County is home to two major universities, has a local unemployment rate less than 2 percent, and less than 3 percent of it's 306,000 residents receiving public cash assistance. This creates a challenge as Project Zero customers compete with students from the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University for employment. Under Project Zero Washtenaw County partners will assess skill levels of target customers, then match them with potential employers. Washtenaw County FIA is collaborating with the Washtenaw County Workforce Development Board, the local Michigan Works Agency, and other community partners to develop new employment opportunities by eliminating barriers that prevent customers from being employable. Project Zero partners will establish new community partners in the business, industrial, educational, and medical sectors to help open doors of opportunity for target customers. In Project Zero county partners will focus on child care, job skills, family dynamics and transportation services. Some projected plans include those outlined below.

Washtenaw County will build on its relationship with Child Care Network/4C to recruit, train and provide technical assistance for child day care providers and develop more services including child care during nontraditional hours. Work First will use job readiness skill classes, establish job resources with competitive wage earning potential, on-the-job training and motivational seminars to assist target customers.

Using experience gained in the Family Independence Summer Project, Washtenaw County FIA will contract for mentoring services that assist at-risk adults to successfully maintain employment. Washtenaw County partners work with state and local transit providers including HelpSource-RideSource, Ann Arbor Transit Authority, Northfield Human Services, Milan Public Transit, Chelsea Area Transportation Systems and Work First. These organizations will look at new approaches to resolve transit barriers with continued assurance to provide quality and reliable transportation for Project Zero customers.

History of Project Zero
Link to the Main Project Zero Site (Lansing)