Upton Helps Deliver $635,000 Job Training Grant for SMC to Support Local Manufacturers
U.S. Department of Labor funding will help train nearly
150 students in specialized manufacturing skills
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph) today announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Southwestern Michigan College (SMC) a $634,677 grant that will expand the college's Precision Production Technology Program to support the advanced manufacturing industry. Upton, a strong supporter of the Precision Program, urged the Department of Labor in July to award SMC a Community Based Job Training Grant to train approximately 148 students.
"SMC's Precision Production program is such an important part of the Southwest Michigan economy, as it builds important connections between the education and business communities," said Upton. "I applaud the efforts of President David Mathews and his colleagues in ensuring that our youth are properly trained to enter the local job market. This grant will help area employers fill the type of high-skill, high-wage jobs that are the backbone of our economy. With an aging workforce in our manufacturing sector, the SMC program will no doubt be an important economic development tool for our region."
Southwestern Michigan College has a long history of developing creative and strategic partnerships with employers, school districts, and the community. SMC's program will address the urgent need for manufacturers in Cass County, Michigan to meet their needs for a skilled workforce. The project will recruit new students into the program through area high schools, and install equipment in the college for manufacturing training. Partial scholarships will contribute to tuition for qualified students.
"SMC is committed to providing job training and retraining," said Dr. David Mathews, President, Southwestern Michigan College. "With the loss of State funding for job training, this federal grant from the Department of Labor will help jump-start our region's economy. Representative Upton has been working with SMC for the past four years in an effort to secure federal funding to help support the economic development of our region, and we are grateful for his efforts."
http://www.house.gov/upton/press/press-10-19-05.html