[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6565825,"mediaKeyId","3212989-335dc1867f817d32dad73567c24bb233","parentId",3212989,"title","House appropriations subcommittee approves April 30 minutes by unanimous consent","audioSeconds",2,"startMs",327000,"endMs",329000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212989-335dc1867f817d32dad73567c24bb233&start=327&end=329","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212989-335dc1867f817d32dad73567c24bb233/thumbnail_327000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6565825/Michigan/House-appropriations-subcommittee-approves-April-30-minutes-by-unanimous-consent","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6565825-fcdf7e71bd359c144e11b7f446252da8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770897143&Signature=iifXSf~EJAoY-6pKqFF8WpvyaAPygGTb1loJx3tnwICAVKvSg8sXb6-VdO9AWFgeg7xCtRxEk1U4i128EEd~cjwNGuAAORMsQXOGysW1RDv-DuBF~HTjjdHCR6Zll7AoqoCT-OnnMfcNayC5K7rMh18AHz7jn5ZculyFAaU001TVp8cvFFl1-JwseDEMXEwiNqfuWMXfzo9ahoGnjX-HZfwRjeT3Wsx6NVxQ-f6N5UKEGQg~oGT6TQMmEKwye-JO4Y4lBj5f1rOGgtv7rbvpHzyfkyLQDUe54ABLBHjIjylEF-Mg0ABpfCP-C17pDQK8O6~zCwDQKvBn6QnVOOZbyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Michigan Legislature","date","2025-05-08T03:49:04Z","article","At the opening of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity meeting, Representative Cabot moved to approve the minutes of the April 30 meeting. The chair asked if there were any objections; when none were raised the chair said, \"The minutes are approved.\" The action was adopted by unanimous consent; no roll-call vote or objections were recorded in the transcript.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations: Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity - 5/7/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Cabot moved to approve the April 30 minutes; the chair reported no objections and the minutes were approved by unanimous consent.","taxTitle","2025 House Legislature MI, Michigan","taxId",77683,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6565830,"TeamUp Academy seeks state support to scale veteran-focused workforce training in Southeast Michigan",0,1925000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212989-335dc1867f817d32dad73567c24bb233&start=1925&end=1925","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212989-335dc1867f817d32dad73567c24bb233/thumbnail_1925000.jpg","/articles/6565830/Michigan/TeamUp-Academy-seeks-state-support-to-scale-veteran-focused-workforce-training-in-Southeast-Michigan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6565830-15f92ee02bbfacd2d0b09f5e9db459fe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770897143&Signature=LnwDxyzxnY28jT23uxz~KCdAJYBu9FubjtCHfT2Bokx37SjAr0ccldOa0RSV520V37m3bVQht9PNqEjv2KMMKVRCH3azkSNb0QiZy8nJHdUDYHfwuOIWZrGfkN6w0Q7eQ6pvOyF3Lz2c9E2lqvzUf3k3W1kAi59wDpPtBHIe~eUb0cHK53gj5A0U0wRiMAn4WlN2MxmR-3Xk4xJhMgqzOSKfBqwvPhJU5bZHWa7zYzNVPmfPwt6ymgN-Yu679zWgISu1BOnt2yHjx0hHTuW9gssfc2Cg5Sd7euIdz4DjUkha6h8CYRcrcWxAAOXcTbKeFeE4hVnReDIz1bz705XARQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Bones, founder and executive director of TeamUp Academy, asked the House appropriations subcommittee for state investment to expand a veteran-focused, employer-linked workforce training program operating in Warren, Michigan.

Bones said TeamUp, a nonprofit that operates in a 40,000-square-foot facility and runs short entry-level ‘‘boot camp’’ and longer step-up programs, began in 2018 and restarted programming after COVID with a pilot class in April 2024. The Academy’s entry-level program is a 30-day boot camp that prepares trainees for manufacturer entry-level jobs; step-up programs (for CNC machining and other skills) run about eight weeks. \"Costs a lot of money not to work,\" Bones said, describing the program’s philosophy of quick, employer-directed training and placement.

Partnerships and veteran pipeline: Tamiko Richardson, education and training director for Cerrado Corporation (based in Tucson, Arizona), told the committee that a Warriors to Work pipeline tied to Job Corps centers is intended to channel transitioning service members into TeamUp for reskilling and placement. Richardson said Cerrado operates the Flint Genesee and Detroit Job Corps centers and that the Warriors to Work pilot would include a San Diego-based intake aimed at attracting transitioning veterans to Michigan for housing, training and placement.

Scale and outcomes: Bones said TeamUp currently trains about 9–10 people per month and seeks to scale to 25 per month by year-end — roughly 300 individuals annually — and to double or triple certificate offerings via partnerships with Macomb Community College, SME Tooling U curriculum and employer partners. He told the panel that TeamUp’s current veteran placement rate is about 50% and the program aims for about an 85% veteran placement rate with added counseling and mentorship resources. \"We want to lead in the nationwide workforce-training movement,\" Bones said.

Student testimony and employer demand: Veteran participant Donald Teasley, a Navy veteran in TeamUp’s ninth class, told the committee the program helped him refresh math and technical skills and regain stability after personal setbacks. Bones and Tamiko Richardson identified prospective employer partners, including Lapla USA, Magna and other regional manufacturers; Bones said specific employers have asked TeamUp to supply dozens of trained hires over the coming year.

Church partnerships and civil-rights compliance: Representative Martis asked about TeamUp’s relationship with Landmark Church and whether a state-funded community center would comply with Michigan civil-rights law. Bones said the program grew from a faith-based mentorship model and emphasized a separation of ministry and training functions; he told the committee, \"Absolutely. 100% — you are who you are,\" when asked whether TeamUp would comply with nondiscrimination requirements.

Next steps and request: Bones said the appropriation request (amount not specified in the transcript) would fund capacity growth, additional certificates (including planned welding certifications with Lincoln Electric), and expanded counseling and mentorship to improve placement outcomes.","John Bones, founder of TeamUp Academy, described a program in Warren that works with veterans, Job Corps partners and local employers and requested state funding to scale capacity from about 9–10 trainees per month to 25 per month (roughly 300 per year).",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6565835,"Sam Buford Woodworking Institute asks Michigan for $12 million to expand training capacity",1641,338000,1979000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3212989-335dc1867f817d32dad73567c24bb233&start=338&end=1979","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3212989-335dc1867f817d32dad73567c24bb233/thumbnail_338000.jpg","/articles/6565835/Michigan/Sam-Buford-Woodworking-Institute-asks-Michigan-for-12-million-to-expand-training-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6565835-9400baf0853bb6dccbc3d891d866c9c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770897143&Signature=JK2q3dRXoe787T6Oq1GNWJ1HQHdbGyUk-vXnF3MgbY3ssdiFjRMoNZmtmGjQsD8ch0Q~GVfTmtr3ntc8XiBA-rR~YDrXqLQOq988mWE8-tp9yloRK2KIFb6ThRGdXqIX7RFpRYY9pgVhFB2RG5bDiugjCtFF9RNQhOj9MEZNU2WAOhiXrs0haw9G0caHpvwYo0JPb4~ZOB0NXoXQCVA8Ni02x7AD~EDb6gj7DAqcoO7Exn3uBgPK-QysEiR72uM7q1HNUowL3OU2A9EgQGQ7v25Egzfk1ZOMJyRPfOSyHcGucdZv3PgQg2VRZB5gPFvEFiSuhItaoSoP7IkjaRWnBA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Luke Barnett, president of the Sam Buford Woodworking Institute, told the Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity that his Adrian-based trade school is seeking a one-time $12 million state capital investment to complete Phase 1 of a $48 million expansion plan.

Barnett said the institute, a state-licensed postsecondary trade school that earned accreditation from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges in August 2024 and approval for GI Bill benefits in 2022, is limited by space and currently admits 24 students a year. \"We are turning away five students to every one that we accept,\" Barnett said. He described Phase 1 as a $16.2 million project that would raise annual graduates from about 20 to 60 and triple continuing-education participation to roughly 1,500 students per year; the master plan overall is estimated at $48 million.

Why it matters: Barnett tied the request to a broader workforce shortage in the forest-products and construction sectors. He cited a 2023 Michigan Department of Natural Resources valuation of about $26.5 billion for the state's forest-products industry and said expanded training would supply skilled carpenters and woodworkers needed for housing, infrastructure and emerging mass-timber construction. \"Hands-on education has the ability to transform lives,\" Barnett said. \"We must stop referring to the trades as alternative education.\" He told the committee that SBWI graduates in 2023 achieved a 100% employment rate (third-party verified as required by the accreditor) and that starting salaries for graduates typically range between $52,000 and $60,000 after the institute's one-year program; tuition is $16,000.

Supporting details and partnerships: Barnett said SBWI has secured $4.2 million in local investment toward Phase 1 and asked the state for the remaining $12 million capital contribution; operational costs, he said, are covered by tuition revenue. He described ongoing collaboration with Adrian College to create career ladders that combine hands-on trades instruction with college credits and discussions with the Community College Association on a pilot to award more-than-elective college credit for trade-school coursework. Barnett identified employers that recruit from SBWI, including MOD Interiors (Ira Township), Vogue Furniture (Detroit), Joseph Jupp (Grand Rapids), Inception Woodworks (Traverse City) and Metrica (Northampton, Massachusetts), and said about 35% of his graduates are veterans.

Committee exchange: Representatives asked for more detail. Representative Robinson asked how many schools like SBWI exist nationally; Barnett said there are only a few (he named programs in Boston, California and Maine and described the Boston program as the only other accredited school he knew). Robinson also pressed on placement sustainability; Barnett said the 100% employment rate came from a particularly strong year and that while he hopes to keep placement in the high 90s, that level cannot be guaranteed every year. \"Any student that wants a job has a job,\" Barnett said, describing employer demand.

Context and next steps: Barnett framed the request as a capital, not operational, ask and argued the investment would grow the state's skilled workforce, attract businesses and increase tourism tied to continuing-education courses. He closed by urging a cultural shift away from viewing trades education as a fallback option.

","Luke Barnett, president of the Sam Buford Woodworking Institute, asked the House appropriations subcommittee for a one-time $12 million state capital investment to fund Phase 1 of a $48 million master plan that would increase annual woodworking graduates and expand continuing-education offerings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House appropriations subcommittee approves April 30 minutes by unanimous consent

TeamUp Academy seeks state support to scale veteran-focused workforce training in Southeast Michigan

Sam Buford Woodworking Institute asks Michigan for $12 million to expand training capacity