The governor's recommendations for developing talent are aimed at lowering the state's double-digit unemployment rate. Although the resurgent domestic auto industry is helping Michigan add jobs faster than many other states, it's tied with Mississippi for the state's third-highest jobless rate at 10.6 percent, behind only Nevada and California.

Snyder said getting more people back in the workforce is "not just about finding a short-term job."

"It's building careers and opportunities for the future, and focusing on minority opportunities, and how to bring back distressed areas such as Detroit," he said. "It's really about talent."

Karen Tyler-Ruiz, director of the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund, said Wednesday that she welcomes new opportunities for state residents to gain access to jobs and career information. She hopes the new website is as useful for people with low-end skills as it is for more highly trained workers.

"We want to make sure they are also part of the vision for this administration," she said. "I think that the website will be able to help if, again, it speaks to the full spectrum of the population."

The website offers special pages for job seekers, employers, "career explorers," entrepreneurs and veterans. It has links to job listings, information for employers on how to post jobs and participate in job fairs, a career investment calculator, skills assessment tools, information about community college training programs, a way for entrepreneurs to link up with mentors and help for military veterans looking for jobs.

A variety of businesses and organizations have pledged their support for the website, including Kelley Services, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 324, universities and community colleges. Snyder said he hopes that feedback from employers and job seekers will make the site even more useful as more is added to the site over the next six months.

The governor sees the Talent Connect website serving a much bigger purpose than job websites such as Monster.com.

A lot of existing job sites are "about finding a job. It's not about giving advice or counseling or tools to do career building, about what educational background do you need, what are the requirements, where you might find those tools," he said. "This is a much more encompassing environment to really make Michigan a leader in the country on this in terms of talent."

Snyder's speech also is expected to touch on encouraging more of Michigan's residents to earn college degrees. Currently only about 35 percent Michigan adults have a four-year or two-year degree, not enough to fill the new jobs that are being created. The governor also is expected to talk about ways to keep more young adults in the state by encouraging them to train for careers that will lead to Michigan jobs rather than openings in other states.