Ropes Courses, Inc. a Stop for State Rep. Whiteford

Michigan State Representative, Mary Whiteford, made stops at five businesses near Allegan to discuss the concerns and future outlooks for the new year. One of her stops on November 16th included Ropes Courses, Inc. Plant manager, Mark Forbes, facilitated a tour of the facility. Among other things, Mark discussed the difficulty in hiring skilled laborers, such as welders and painters, in the West Michigan area. He attributed the lack of skilled laborers to a decrease in trade programs at the high school education level.

Rep. Whiteford was quoted saying, “This year, my colleagues and I committed ourselves to expanding vocational education programs. Next year’s budget includes funding for career and technical education programs and also funds a competitive grant program that will allow local and intermediate school districts to purchase equipment for a vast array of vocational programs.”

Read the full Allegan County News article “Businesses Share Concerns On Tour With Rep. Whiteford” written by Ryan Lewis, here.