GE turns to tech workers in the auto industry

There is often opportunity in chaos. General Electric is taking advantage of the chaos in Michigan and also helping a lot of unemployed high-tech workers. With the decline of the auto industry, many people with software, computer and sophisticated engineering skills are out on the street looking for a job.

This week, we report on GE's plan to capitalize on this resource by building a manufacturing and software center 25 miles from Detroit that will employ more than 1,000 people in the next few years. GE's Chairman and Chief Executive Jeff Immelt cited Michigan as a great location for a tech center because of its "world class engineering and technical talent."

We applaud GE for finding a way to recycle IT personnel who have been hit hard by the crash in the auto industry and help them transition their skills to another industry. Not only is this a smart business strategy, it comes with a subsidy from the state that sweetens the pot. The number of jobs may be a drop in the bucket given the devastation in Michigan, but it's a start, and it offers some hope in these dire times. - Judi