Community Colleges Receive Grant From Department Of Labor

MACOMB (WWJ) - Manufacturing training is on the rise for Macomb Community College along with seven other community colleges in Michigan.

Macomb Community College President Jim Jacobs sat down with WWJ's Beth Fisher to talk about a grant of nearly 25 million dollars that the colleges received from the U.S. Department of Labor in order to coordinate training for manufacturing jobs.

Jacobs said that the industry has had vacancies for employment lately.

"These are the sectors of employment that our manufacturing employers are telling us," Jacobs said.  "They have vacancies and we believe that the grant will allow us to train and educate citizens in Macomb County for these jobs."

Jacobs said that Macomb Community College is using 9.6 million dollars of the grant to train students in machining, welding and production operations.

Other schools that are receiving portions of the grant include Schoolcraft, Mott and Lansing Community College.

Jacobs believes that because of the recession a few years ago that there has been a downturn for young people to go into manufacturing because of the overall job picture.

He said that today manufacturing is one of the leading sectors of Michigan's economy and that both parents and younger people should think about future opportunities with it,

"However, now I think we should have both parents and young people reconsider manufacturing as a future growth opportunity," Jacobs said.