Twelve new learning labs will allow K-12 students to explore careers in the automotive and skilled trade industry. The Ford Future Builders Labs will reach over 7,300 students across Michigan.
It’s a way for students to explore potential careers in the automotive, manufacturing and skilled trade industry, Mary Culler, the president of Ford Philanthropy, said.
“I think it just opens up their skill sets beyond sitting in a classroom and learning, being lectured to,” Culler said. “Or this actually provides an exciting hands-on way for students to identify what makes them excited, what do they want to pursue.”
The labs are a partnership between Ford Motor Company, Ford Philanthropy and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Collectively, the partners are investing about $1.54 million into the new initiative.
Culler intends for the funds to help with “wraparound services, transportation and other types of services,” she said.
“Because when you think about what kinds of barriers there are, there are a lot for some people, more so than others,” Culler said. “We're a big believer that it's not just about the funding, but also all the wraparound services that we can bring to the table to ensure someone's successful.”
Chris Reshko, the Director of Talent Solutions at the MEDC, described the labs as a “win-win-win.”
“Ford is going to get the talent that they need to expand,” Reshko said. “The students are going to be able to have skills that are actually in demand – skill sets that are going to be needed now and into the future. And then Michigan as a whole continues to be at the leading edge of innovation.”
Students will participate in tailored programming per their grade levels. For example, elementary students will engage with “simple machines” while high school students will use advanced manufacturing equipment and can enroll in dual enrollment courses, according to a press release by the MEDC.
The initiative addresses the “edge of a silver tsunami,” meaning an increasing number of Michigan’s workforce population is retiring, Culler said. He said it’s important to expose students to potential career pathways early “in order to maintain a robust workforce.”
“Right now, it's important just because of the whole greater ecosystem, the population demographics and such, that we do this kind of investment now because if we wait, we'll miss the bus.”
The labs will be created in 2026.
