SME adds five Michigan schools to manufacturing talent pipeline

SME is expanding its PRIME and middle school manufacturing pathways to five Michigan schools with grant funding from the Michigan Department of Education. The new programs are designed to help students build technical skills earlier and connect more Michigan students to manufacturing careers as the industry faces a nationwide talent shortage.

Why it matters: - Michigan manufacturers need more skilled workers, and SME is using school-based programs to build that pipeline earlier. - The expansion adds hands-on manufacturing education in middle school and high school, where students can start building credentials and career interest before graduation. - SME says the effort supports both student opportunity and the industry’s long-term workforce needs.

What happened: - SME is expanding its SME PRIME and manufacturing education pathways to five Michigan schools. - The funding comes through the Michigan Department of Education’s Section 61v CTE Expansion Grant program. - The expansion includes three SME PRIME high school programs and two middle school pathways. - The new programs are at Brown City High School, Clintondale High School and Bentley High School, plus Brown City Middle School and East Jackson Middle School. - The 2026–27 school year will focus on implementation, with full operation expected by September 2027.

The details: - SME PRIME, short for Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education, was established in 2013. - The program develops customized manufacturing and engineering programs in schools nationwide based on industry input and local workforce needs. - SME PRIME provides industry-relevant equipment, curriculum, teacher training, student scholarships, extracurricular funding and long-term sustainability support. - SME PRIME is already in 54 schools and serves thousands of students statewide. - SME PRIME and SME’s middle school programming reach about 19,000 students across 33 states. - Students in SME PRIME earn industry-recognized credentials and certifications. - SME says 91% of SME PRIME seniors pursue manufacturing careers after graduation. - The middle school Technology, Automation and Innovation Pathway is meant to serve as a bridge to SME PRIME in high school. - The middle school pathway introduces students to robotics, automation, electronics, 3D modeling and 3D printing. - SME says the broader organization reaches about 100,000 students annually across the United States through hands-on learning, career exploration, industry engagement, education and training, and pathways to credentials and manufacturing careers.

Between the lines: - The expansion reflects a longer-term strategy to move students into manufacturing-related learning before high school choices narrow. - Brown City and Clintondale also show how SME is layering new programming onto existing local education efforts rather than starting from scratch. - Brown City Community Schools superintendent Neil Kohler said the middle school pathway will help students discover their interests and build confidence before entering SME PRIME in high school. - Clintondale director of career and technical education and innovation Bryan Schuerman said the district’s new state-approved engineering and manufacturing CTE program will extend a connected pathway from middle school through graduation. - SME cites about 522,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs nationwide and a projected talent gap of nearly 1.9 million by 2034.

What’s next: - SME will roll out the five-school expansion during the 2026–27 school year. - Full program operations across all five schools are expected by September 2027. - The Michigan expansion adds to SME’s broader effort to connect students with manufacturing careers earlier in their education.