SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Five more Michigan schools are getting hands-on manufacturing programs, paid for with state career and technical education money and run with SME, the Southfield-based manufacturing association.
High schools in Brown City, Clintondale and Bentley will launch SME PRIME programs, which supply shop equipment, curriculum, teacher training and scholarships shaped by what local employers need. Middle schools in Brown City and East Jackson will add a Technology, Automation and Innovation Pathway meant to introduce younger students to automation and manufacturing tools before they reach high school.
The schools will spend the 2026-27 year setting the programs up, and all five are expected to be fully running by September 2027.
The money comes from the state Section 61v CTE Expansion Grant, which targets districts with few career program options or documented opportunity gaps. Earlier this month the Michigan Department of Education announced nearly $44.7 million more for 80 districts, bringing total awards from the program to $68.5 million when combined with the first round in April. The grants are paid out over three years and go to traditional districts, charter schools and intermediate school districts.
SME PRIME started in 2013 and already operates in 54 Michigan schools. Across 33 states, the high school program and its middle school offerings reach roughly 19,000 students, and SME reports that 91% of its PRIME seniors go on to manufacturing careers. Students can earn industry-recognized certifications along the way.
The push comes as employers struggle to hire. SME estimates about 522,000 manufacturing jobs sit open nationwide and projects the shortfall could approach 1.9 million by 2034, a gap that weighs heavily on a state whose economy leans on auto and parts production.
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