22
MiMfg Magazine
March 2018
Industry & Education: Partnering for Progress
By Brian Glowiak• SME Education Foundation
In late 2016, I gave an overview
of the SME Education Foundation’s
acclaimed Partnership Response in
Manufacturing Education, or
PRIME®, program with our
partners at the MMA during the
MFG Talent Summit.
We appreciate our partnership
with the MMA on PRIME® and
the Talent Summit presentation
served a vital purpose to inform
manufacturers of an employer-
driven solution to Michigan’s growing
need for a skilled manufacturing
workforce. At the time of the
Summit, 100,000 positions posted
throughout the state were going
unfilled because businesses could
not find qualified applicants with
the requisite knowledge, technical
skills and training. Michigan is not
alone in facing this talent crisis:
across the nation, more than two
million positions are anticipated to
go unfilled by 2025.
This crisis cannot be solved
solely by developing our existing
workforce; rather, we must also attract
and prepare youth for future careers
in manufacturing. Accordingly, it is
essential that we help students,
parents, and educators learn about
manufacturing and discover the
highly skilled, well-paid and
technology-driven jobs thriving
in manufacturing today.
SME PRIME® is helping to
address the talent gap by collaborating
directly with manufacturers and
schools to develop advanced
manufacturing education programs
tailored to meet the specific skills
requirements of the local workforce.
SME PRIME® provides schools
with industry-relevant equipment,
Get More!
Join us for an informational
breakfast in Novi on 5/9/18 to
learn all about the PRIME®
program. See page 16 for more
and register now at mimfg.org .
A press conference last June at Shape Corp.’s Grand
Haven Tech Center featured company leaders as well as
SME’s Brian Glowiak and MMA’s Mike Johnston. At left,
Shape’s Amy King discussed the influence programs like
PRIME can have to allow young people to leverage
education to further their career aspirations.
technologies, curriculum and
teacher training and offers students
opportunities to experience co-ops
and internships while earning
industry-recognized credentials.
Through this program we’ve
established a network of 45 high
schools in 22 states and impacted
more than 45,000 students.
The SME PRIME® network
continues to grow – and it’s growing
right here in Michigan.
At the MMA Talent Summit, I
met Julie Davidson, talent acquisition
manager at Shape Corp. in Grand
Haven. From that initial meeting, a
partnership formed between the SME
Education Foundation, Shape Corp.
and Grand Haven Area Public Schools
(GHAPS) to launch SME PRIME®
at Grand Haven High School.
Since the program’s launch last
June, much progress has already
been made. Following a thorough
workforce assessment of Shape Corp.,
we’ve worked with GHAPS to develop
a strategic plan defining targeted
career pathways. Implementation of
the first phase is underway, with
the focus on metrology, quality
control and inspection.
“It’s just the beginning, and we’re
very pleased with the progress made.
We’ve collaborated on creating a
leading program, a model program,”
said Davidson. “We’ll be working
with talented students — and we’ll
be guiding them, expanding their
opportunity and helping them
realize their potential.”
Jeremy Case, technical education
teacher at Grand Haven for more
than 17 years, says the impact of
the collaboration is unlike anything
he’s seen: “I’ve had great feedback
from our students. Every one of
them is engaged and excited. They’re
learning and enjoying the classes;
they understand that this is
education with a purpose. They’re
acquiring knowledge and skills
that are applicable right now.”
Part of our challenge in Michigan,
and across the nation, is to do exactly
what Jeremy Case describes: to
engage and excite young people,
and build their awareness of the
diverse opportunities offered by
advanced manufacturers today;
awareness of careers that are most
appropriately described not as “blue
collar” but skilled “new collar”
positions with unlimited potential.
With our partners at the MMA,
we can work together to address the
state’s talent gap — and collaborative
partnerships between manufacturers
and schools are key to success.
Brian Glowiak is the vice
president of the SME Education
Foundation. He may be reached
at 313-425-3303 or bglowiak@
sme.org.
SME is an MMA Associate member company
and has been a member since 2015. Visit
online: www.sme.org