Chamber, county and partners brief commission on West Michigan Welcome Plan and economic contribution of immigrants

Chamber of Commerce and Kent County staff briefed the commission Feb. 11 on the West Michigan Welcome Plan, a multi‑sector initiative that seeks to retain and integrate immigrants, refugees and new Americans in the local economy and community.

Presenters cited research indicating immigrant population growth outpaced county growth and that immigrant households contribute an estimated $5 billion to Kent County’s GDP, pay an estimated $400 million in taxes and account for substantial spending power. The collaborative — which includes local government, school districts, nonprofits and business groups — launched multilingual community engagement, a drivers‑license toolkit and grant‑writing workshops that have helped local ethnic organizations raise funds.

Staff described recent activities: three community‑safety engagement events, two “global gathering” multicultural festivals, improved language access for translated public health materials and a summit on credentials earned abroad. The collaborative emphasized ongoing needs: credential recognition, employer engagement, language‑accessible services and wider outreach to reduce barriers for entrepreneurs.

Ending: The presenters asked partners to help publicize resources and to join work groups; the collaborative said more technical assistance and funding will be needed to scale credential‑translation and employer‑engagement work.