MiMfg Magazine April 2017 | Page 17

April 2017 MiMfg Magazine MMA Testifies in Support of Flexibility to Enhance Career Tech Education Manufacturers are looking for the best and the brightest. Modern manu- facturing is a high tech, high skill, high knowledge operation and career tech programs in PRIME and across Michigan’s K-12 schools will aid young people in meeting industry standards. MMA testified before the House Workforce and Talent Development Committee on Tuesday, 3/21/17, in support of creating greater flexibility in the Merit curriculum and highlighting the many career opportunities available to students if flexible options are provided in K-12 schools. “For programs like PRIME to be as effective as they should be, there needs to be more flexibility in the Merit Curriculum,” testified Mike Johnston, MMA vice president of government affairs. “The more flexibility, the more opportunities can be created for students to map an academic path, whether it is a four-year degree, or a high paying, high skill industrial credential. We should not think about a two-path rubric, but instead an infinite combination of paths created through flexibility in the curriculum.” The four bills include: • House Bill 4315 (Representative Beth Griffin, R-Paw Paw) • House Bill 4316 (Representative Curtis VanderWall, R-Ludington) • House Bill 4317 (Representative Roger Hauck, R-Mt. Pleasant) • House Bill 4318 (Representative Gary Howell, R-North Branch) MMA’s Mike Johnston testified in March to support flexibility in the Merit curriculum. The Committee reported out House Bills 4315 – 4318, legislation to expand CTE options in the K-12 pipeline, and the full House passed all four bills on 3/30/17. 6 17