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Manufacturing jobs are on the rise, but the industry is dealing with a severe shortage of workers equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to function in advanced manufacturing workplaces.
Pontiac High School (PHS) was accepted into the SME PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) program in 2020-21. PHS received a grant from PRIME that allowed it to create new manufacturing career pathways for students and purchase state-of-the-art equipment: a three-piece Festo MecLab, a Festo Didactic AC/DC Training System, a Verisurf part tester, a Starrett PMI kit, and a variety of hand tools from Starrett and Snap-on.
The SME Education Foundation will receive $6 million from the state of Michigan as part of the approved School Aid Fund Budget (PA 48 of 2021) crafted with bipartisan support from the Michigan Legislature. The award will double the number of schools participating in the unique manufacturer/educator partnership-driven SME PRIME initiative, which offers education and career-readiness opportunities to high school students.
The SME PRIME schools (Barberton High School, Copley High School, Norton High School and Wadsworth High School) provide high school students with access to relevant curricula, modern equipment and qualified, engaged instructors to inspire and prepare them for pursuit of career opportunities within manufacturing.
By providing an extensive package of manufacturing- and engineering-related educational resources, the SME PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) program has enabled Troy High School to bring a near-decade-long conversation about expanding the school’s career and technical education (CTE) offerings to fruition this year.
This is the first in a series of articles related to the Saginaw (Michigan) ISD’s summer 2021 manufacturing camp.