DETROIT –– Today, Operating Engineers 324 praised Gov. Rick Snyder for appointing Labor-Management Education Committee Executive Director Lee Graham to a three-year term on the Governor’s Talent Investment Board. The panel advises and assists the Governor regarding compliance with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. The board includes employers, organized labor and community-based organizations, including apprenticeship programs, which make recommendations on how to best develop workforce talent across the state.
“Lee Graham is an excellent choice for this critical board designed to build up Michigan’s workforce,” said Business Manager and General Vice President Douglas W. Stockwell. “Lee has devoted 27 years to the Operating Engineers and will be a strong voice for labor and advocate for apprenticeship programs and the vital role they play in developing the talent we need to drive Michigan’s future.”
Graham has been a member of OE 324 since 1990 and completed its apprenticeship program in 1993. He currently serves as a trustee and as executive director of the OE 324 Labor-Management Education Committee (LMEC) and on several Workforce Development and Apprenticeship boards around the state, including serving as the Michigan Apprenticeship Steering Committee, Inc. (MASCI) Chairman. Graham was previously director of the Operating Engineers Local 324 Journeyman & Apprentice Training Fund, Inc. (JATF) and served as Operating Engineers 324 Training Director for nine years.
“It is an honor to accept the Governor’s appointment to his Talent Investment Board,” said Graham. “One of the most important issues facing our state is ensuring that we have a skilled workforce today and in the future. Operating Engineers 324 is known across the country for our innovative programs that have trained some of the best workers anywhere in the country. I look forward to sharing this experience with the board.”