Great Lakes Empowerment Service

a Michigan based 501(c)(3) Non-profit with the mission of workforce development and empowerment for marginalized individuals.



(877) 263-9229

205 W Scott St. Grand Ledge, MI 48837

info@gles.org

Great Lakes Empowerment Service

a Michigan based 501(c)(3) Non-profit with the mission of workforce development and empowerment for marginalized individuals.



(877) 263-9229

205 W Scott St. Grand Ledge, MI 48837

info@gles.org

FeedTheVulnerable.org

Find out about our initiative to provide for those who are most at risk during the COVID-19 epidemic: feedthevulnerable.org

Who is GLES?

  • Great Lakes Energy Service Inc (now Great Lakes Empowerment Services Inc) was founded in 2008 under a US Department of Energy grant.
  • The original mandate was to create a mobile energy management laboratory for hands-on education in energy – alternative, renewable, and waste management for elementary students.
  • GLES expanded its mandate in 2015 with a new emphasis on workforce development for marginalized individuals.
  • Now, it’s all about skill building…starting with soft skills and moving into technical skills that provide access to meaningful, well-compensated employment.
 



Defining Terms


 
 

Marginalized

 

A “marginalized” person is pushed to the periphery of opportunities and resources that most individuals in a society have access to. This can happen due to race, immigration status, religion, gender, disability and economic status. It can also be driven by past decisions or patterns of behavior that leave long-term constraints in the life of the person being marginalized.

 
 

Soft Skills

 

“Soft Skills” are behavioral practices and fundamental skills that allow us to present ourselves in a societally acceptable way. Without developing soft skills, marginalized people find it almost impossible to break the cycle of underemployment. Personal presentation, timeliness, communication, self-awareneness, and creative thinking are some examples of soft skills.

 
 

Hard Skills

 

Hard skills are job or industry specific and can be learned by all sorts of people. Examples of hard skills include technical training, STEM emphasis, management techniques, and other best practices for a particular segment of the marketplace.

 
 

GLES is committed to collaboration…we don’t want to reinvent the wheel!

Strategic partnerships allow us to expand our reach and maximize our resources.

It’s about building coalitions as opposed to going it alone.

The goal is transformation and empowerment for every person who participates.

 

What's Our Approach?



Soft Skills Partner


GLES is partnering with Jobs For Life, a North Carolina-based non-profit that is top notch at soft skills training.

JFL trainings are 8 weeks long with 2 sessions each week.

Participants graduate at the end of the session and receive a Certificate of Soft Skills Training when successfully completing the curriculum.

Portable Skills

We want to train in skills that can travel with the participant for the rest of their lives, regardless of where they work. Portable skills increase confidence, add marketable value, and grow dignity.

Stackable Skills

We want to train in skills that allow for “layered” certifications, taking the participant from entry-level to expert with the documentation to prove it.

Certifications instill a sense of real achievement and amplify the desire to pursue more skill.

 

Incubator Businesses – Paid Internships

GLES operates “incubator” businesses, all of which offer portable, stackable skills. These entities are designed to generate positive revenue while giving participants real-world on-the-job training at a living wage. Currently, the platforms are Energy Management and Hospitality/Food Service.

Snug Home

Snug Home operates multiple energy management and “built environment” health and safety programs.

Skills range from basic construction to highly technical building analysis.

Workers gain entry to the energy management field with nationally recognized certifications.

Radon testing, certified home inspections, utility programming.


Click here to go to the Snug Home Website

Crossroads BBQ

GLES acquired a successful existing BBQ restaurant in Grand Ledge, MI.

We deliver world-class barbecue!

Workers gain Servsafe Certifications and access to training on state-of-the-art barbecue and restaurant management systems.


Click here to go to the Crossroads Website

Rudy Baggs Coffee Roasting

GLES acquired an existing coffee roasting company.

Workers gain Servsafe Certifications and access to training on state-of-the-art coffee roasting and restaurant management systems.

We’re building out a brand new coffee “tasting room”, set to open in the first quarter of 2020.


Click here to go to the Rudy Baggs Website
 

How can you help?

Buy services from our incubator businesses

Profits from incubator businesses get put back into persuing the GLES mission - every purchase helps us fund skills training and empowerment.

Refer our incubator businesses

Tell your friends - if you like the service you recieved and want to help us with our goals, referring others to visit our incubator buisnesses helps just as much or more than you alone.

Connect us to potential workers

Know someone who is stuck in a job they don't like or without one entirely that feels they don't have any skills or credentials to get where they would like to be? Reach out, our goal is to empower individuals to achieve their goals.

Become a JFL mentor

Want to help us help others? We are in need of dedicated mentors to walk with trainees through the program.

 


Contact Us


For more information:

(877) 263-9229

205 W Scott St. Grand Ledge, MI 48837

info@gles.org

Let’s work together to make real impact on joblessness and underemployment in Lansing!