The Michigan Growth Office has announced a $100,000 grant for Discover Southwest Michigan, an organization started by the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber to help attract workers to the region.

The chamber’s Arthur Havlicek tells us the grant will enable Discover Southwest Michigan to deploy marketing strategies, relocation support services, and a down payment assistance program for workers relocating to the area. The focus will be on bringing in skilled young professionals and their families, with a particular emphasis on those in high-demand fields like STEM-H. That’s science, technology, engineering, mathematics and health.

The initiative will also reach out to former residents who left for educational and vocational opportunities elsewhere, encouraging them to come back.

Havlicek says the investment from the Michigan Growth Office “demonstrates a strong vote of confidence in our region’s potential.” He says the chamber is “ready to launch bold, impactful strategies that will establish a healthy growth cycle in Southwest Michigan and serve as a model for talent attraction efforts throughout the state.”