EMSD/Michigan Works!

The Employment Management Services Division (EMSD) of the Upjohn Institute manages employment and training services for Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties under the Michigan Works! umbrella.

EMSD manages job training programs for multiple government-funded programs including:

  • Welfare-to-Work
  • School-to-Work
  • Public Employment Service
  • Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
  • Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative (MPRI)

EMSD’s origin dates back to 1971, when along with the city and county of Kalamazoo, the Upjohn Institute helped plan, implement, and administer a local employment program, created by the federal Emergency Employment Act. The program provided funding to finance job opportunities in local public service and nonprofit agencies for unemployed and disadvantaged workers. In 1974, the Institute’s participation evolved into the Employment Management Services Division (EMSD) to administer job training programs funded under federal and state government legislation.