Michael Polzin
About
Michael J. Polzin has extensive experience working on a wide range of issues to increase employment opportunities and outcomes for job seekers, and improve the quality of working life for working people and the effectiveness of organizations that employ them, He is a skilled facilitator and qualitative researcher with expertise in strategic planning, organizational development, labor-management relations, and continuous process improvement.
Dr. Polzin has played an important role in PPA’s workforce development business, including evaluation projects through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Investment Fund (WIF) and Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program. He was project manager for the evaluation of four advanced manufacturing initiatives: a TAACCCT Round Four grant awarded to Danville (VA) Community College to increase regional capacity in precision machining technology; a WIF Round Three grant awarded to Eastern Connecticut Workforce Investment Board to create a demand-driven manufacturing pipeline; a TAACCCCT Round Two grant awarded to Fox Valley (Wisconsin) Technical College, and a National Science Foundation grant awarded to Piedmont Virginia Community College. Dr. Polzin also served on the team evaluating the Virginia Financial Success Network, a WIF Round Two grant awarded to the Virginia Community College System and was project manager for the evaluation of the Ohio Business Resource Network Expansion, a WIF Round One project awarded to the Workforce Initiative Association, and several other workforce-related projects.
Prior to joining PPA, Dr. Polzin was an associate professor with the School of Human Resources and Labor Relations at Michigan State University where he worked extensively with businesses, labor organizations, workforce agencies, and others to help businesses prosper and workers succeed.
Dr. Polzin continues his work with Michigan’s Business Solutions Professional Certification initiative that prepares those engaged in workforce and economic development to apply a demand-driven approach to help businesses thrive and create and retain jobs.
