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MiMfg Magazine July 2017
PRIME ® Initiative Gains First Michigan Program
with Shape Corp & Grand Haven Partnership
The first in a new series of employer-
driven, customized curriculum options
for local communities was announced
during a 6/19/17 press conference as
Grand Haven-based manufacturer Shape
Corp. and Grand Haven Area Public
Schools struck a deal to participate
in MMA’s Partnership Response
In Manufacturing Education
(PRIME®) initiative.
PRIME is a national effort from the
SME Education Foundation designed
to build a collaborative network of
students, educators and industry
professionals to provide high school
students with advanced manufacturing
career pathways.
In 2016, MMA began a partnership
with the SME Education Foundation
to implement its nationally renowned
method of skills training in Michigan
to help develop talent pipelines for
manufacturing.
“We really want to complement the
vision of harmonizing the missions of
the school with the local business
community…and delivering not only
talented workers for the business
community but creating careers for
students,” said Mike Johnston, MMA
vice president of government affairs. “At
MMA, we’ve noticed that manufacturers
and school districts don’t speak the
same language. We partnered with the
SME Education Foundation because
we recognized them as translators —
they communicate between the business
community and educators so we can
actually deliver what is needed in
local communities.”
The collaboration between Shape
Corp. and Grand Haven Area Public
Schools began through Shape Corp.’s
participation at MMA’s 2016 MFG
Talent Summit where they were first
exposed to the PRIME initiative.
Following the Summit, Shape Corp.
began sending representatives to local
meetings hosted by MMA and the SME
Education Foundation and connected
with Grand Haven Area Public Schools
on a potential partnership.
“The MMA and SME’s PRIME
program caught my eye because that’s the
“
I’m really proud that Shape is
supporting technical training in
high school — kids have a lot of
important decisions to make after
graduation and these types of
classes can help them determine
what they like and learn about
different career options.
”
— Amy King, SHAPE Corp.
missing link — someone who understands
both ends of the employer-educator
partnership,” said Julie Davidson, talent
acquisitions manager for Shape Corp. “I’m
looking forward to this because it creates
a unique employer-driven curriculum
and allows us the chance to see the
excitement of students as they explore
new career opportunities.”
The press conference, held at
Shape Corp.’s Grand Haven Tech
Center, featured:
• Mark White, president of Shape Corp.
• Doug Peterson, vice president of
human resources for Shape Corp.
• John Siemion, president of Grand
Haven Area Public Schools Board
of Education
• Superintendent Andrew Ingall,
Grand Haven Area Public Schools
• Mike Johnston, MMA vice president
of government affairs
• Jeff Krause, CEO of SME
• Representative Jim Lilly (R-Macatawa)
• Roger Curtis, director of the
Michigan Department of Talent
and Economic Development
Two members of Shape Corp.’s next
generation workforce and former
apprentices, Amy King and Kyle Gould,
also spoke of the influence programs
like PRIME can have to allow young
people to leverage education to further
their career aspirations.
“I’m really proud that Shape is
supporting technical training in high
school — kids have a lot of important
decisions to make after graduation and
these types of clas