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Dutton Farm requests $850,000 to expand workforce and job‑readiness services in Macomb County
Summary
Dutton Farm asked the committee for $850,000 to purchase and renovate a Sterling Heights property to expand job‑readiness, digital literacy and employment services for adults with developmental disabilities; presenters said $620,000 would pay down acquisition debt and the rest would fund renovations.
Rep. Robinson and Jenny Brown, CEO of Dutton Farm, asked for $850,000 in state aid to acquire and renovate a facility in Sterling Heights to expand workforce development, job readiness and digital‑literacy training for adults with developmental disabilities. Brown said Dutton Farm has provided skill‑building and job‑coaching services since 2010 and that demand from Macomb County — which she said counts roughly 27,000 residents with developmental disabilities and a 62 percent unemployment rate among that population — exceeded local capacity.
Brown said roughly $620,000 of the $850,000 request would be used to pay down a loan taken to secure a Macomb County site and roughly $200,000 would fund renovations for intake, job‑readiness classrooms and digital‑literacy equipment. She said Medicaid would support ongoing operational costs for services once capacity is in place and that private partnerships (Comcast for digital literacy) are being pursued.
Committee members asked about plan B if state funds are not awarded; Brown said individuals would remain on waiting lists and that businesses would continue to lack a local talent pipeline.
Speakers: Rep. Robinson; Jenny Brown, CEO, Dutton Farm.
Provenance: - topicintro: Rep. Robinson introduction and Jenny Brown testimony (00:44:16). - topfinish: Budget breakout and Q&A (00:53:34).
