A $300,000 Gilbert Family Foundation investment will help Detroit-based LIFT introduce 600 students to advanced manufacturing and train at least 30 adults in skilled trades, including welding, robotics and CNC machining.

DETROIT — A $300,000 investment from the Gilbert Family Foundation will help Detroit-based manufacturing innovation institute LIFT expand training programs designed to prepare students and adults for careers in advanced manufacturing, robotics, welding and other skilled trades.

The two-year partnership will support educational opportunities for hundreds of Detroit-area students while providing industry-focused training and credentials to at least 30 adults seeking manufacturing careers.

The initiative comes as Michigan manufacturers work to develop the technical workforce needed to support increasingly automated factories and advanced production systems.

What The $300,000 Investment Will Deliver

  • 600 students: Participate in 25 specialized field trips to LIFT’s Detroit Learning Lab.
  • High school education: Continue LIFT’s IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing curriculum for students from the Leona Group.
  • 30 adults: Receive training and credentials in welding, CNC machining, industrial maintenance or robotics.
  • Two years: Duration of the Gilbert Family Foundation investment.

Connecting Detroit Residents With Manufacturing Careers

The investment will expand existing educational programs at LIFT, a Detroit-based nonprofit that works with industry, government and academic institutions to advance manufacturing technologies and workforce development.

LIFT’s programs introduce students to manufacturing processes while providing adults with technical training intended to help them qualify for skilled positions.

The partnership with the Gilbert Family Foundation is designed to strengthen Detroit’s manufacturing talent pipeline and create additional pathways into technical careers.

In a MITechTV interview, Joe Steele, LIFT’s executive vice president of public affairs, discussed the partnership and its workforce-development objectives.

Three Programs Target Students And Adult Workers

The grant will support three established LIFT educational initiatives.

Student field trips: LIFT plans to bring 600 Detroit-area students to its Learning Lab through 25 specialized visits. The experiences are designed to introduce young people to science, technology, engineering and mathematics through hands-on exposure to advanced manufacturing.

High school manufacturing education: LIFT will continue its IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing curriculum with the Leona Group, which operates schools in Michigan and other states. Students learn about materials science, manufacturing systems and practical problem-solving through project-based instruction.

Adult skilled-trades training: Through its Operation Next program, LIFT will train and credential at least 30 adults in high-demand technical disciplines, including welding, computer numerical control (CNC) machining, industrial technology maintenance and robotics.

These skills are relevant to manufacturers adopting advanced equipment, automated production systems and increasingly sophisticated manufacturing processes.

Building Detroit’s Manufacturing Workforce

Dr. Robert Shaner, LIFT’s chief workforce development officer, said the investment supports the organization’s mission of preparing workers for manufacturing careers.

“This partnership between Gilbert Family Foundation and LIFT showcases our commitment to the future of Detroit’s manufacturing workforce,” Shaner said.

“Serving our youth, our manufacturers, and our home city are at the core of our mission as a national manufacturing innovation institute and we are extremely proud of this partnership which is enabling us to do more of each of those.”

LIFT operates as a public-private partnership connecting industry, academia and the federal government. Its Detroit operations combine manufacturing technology development with workforce training.

The Gilbert Family Foundation, established by Jennifer and Dan Gilbert, supports initiatives intended to expand economic opportunity and mobility for Detroit residents, alongside its medical research mission focused on neurofibromatosis type 1.

The new investment adds to those economic-development efforts by helping Detroit residents gain exposure to manufacturing careers and acquire technical skills.

Watch The MITechTV Interview

Joe Steele, executive vice president of public affairs at LIFT, joins MITechTV to discuss the $300,000 Gilbert Family Foundation partnership, the organization’s manufacturing training programs and opportunities for Detroit students and adult workers.

For more information about LIFT’s workforce programs, visit lift.technology.