New MiWorks! program brings businesses together to increase employee retention and improve performance

UPPER PENINSULA, MI (July 31, 2019) LiftUP, a new and innovative community program from the MiWorks! Upward Talent Council and the State of Michigan are bringing Upper Peninsula businesses together to support job-at-risk employees with on-site training and success coaching. The regional public-private cooperative directly connects employees with resources that help with personal challenges that can affect job performance, such as money management, transportation issues, lack of child and elder care, stress management, addiction, mental health issues, or housing problems. In turn, it helps employers increase productivity and loyalty, reduce turnover and absenteeism, promote wellness and engagement, and improve access to barrier assistance programs.

MiWorks! Upward Talent Council is committed to Upper Peninsula businesses and workers; through LiftUP they offer a practical and affordable compliment to overburdened human resources departments. Member businesses pay an annual fee that funds regional LiftUP success coaches who provide employees at each company with personalized, wrap-around plans that address life and work challenges. The coaches partner with local governments, non-profit agencies, and private companies to identify appropriate resources.

LiftUP will serve as a single access point for resources, ideas, and information sharing that help companies and their employees thrive. Member businesses also benefit from an exchange of management ideas and best practices through roundtable discussions that focus on employee success and retention. Regional sub-groups will share success coaches and participate in a network that includes businesses from the same area.

LiftUP from MiWorks! Upward Talent Council is modeled on remarkably successful programs in Lower Michigan that have helped businesses save thousands of dollars in employee replacement and retraining costs. According to multiple studies, the cost to replace an employee can range from $3,300 for a manufacturing or retail employee, to between $8,000 and $15,000 for a mid-level manager.[1] Other Michigan BRNs have reported returns on investment of 198% (West MI BRN) to as high as 887% (Mid-Michigan BRN) and retention rates of >95%.

For more information about the new LiftUP Business Resource Network, visit liftupmi.coach or call 906 629 1161.

About Upward Talent Council Michigan Works!

Upward Talent Council Michigan Works! connects local agencies and partners with resources to help them better serve employers and job seekers.

Equal Opportunity Employer Michigan Relay Center 711· Auxiliary Aids & Services Available to Individuals with Disabilities.  Affiliated with the Talent Investment Agency, State of Michigan· Supported by the State of Michigan. A Proud Partner of the American Job Center Network· 1-800-285-WORKS (9675)

About InvestUP

InvestUP is a private sector-led economic development organization keenly focused on driving economic growth across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Founded by the region’s leading private sector businesses and the region’s universities, its mission is to deliver business and job growth across the peninsula. www.investupmi.com


[1] https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/bid/312123/employee-retention-the-real-cost-of-losing-an-employee

As a part of our commitment to the Upper Peninsula, we collaborate with partners to share some of the most compelling stories about business and job growth across the region. Our goal through these stories is to get at the heart of what makes the U.P. unique — and to ensure these stories travel beyond our peninsula and broadly illustrate why the UP is the place to live and work.

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