[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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],{"_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",6055992,"mediaKeyId","3312994-63bbff0e524381d2ce4fd410bac4876a","parentId",3312994,"title","Sam Buford Woodworking Institute asks state for $12 million to expand skilled‑trades training","audioSeconds",1593,"startMs",349000,"endMs",1942000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3312994-63bbff0e524381d2ce4fd410bac4876a&start=349&end=1942","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3312994-63bbff0e524381d2ce4fd410bac4876a/thumbnail_349000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6055992/Michigan/Sam-Buford-Woodworking-Institute-asks-state-for-12-million-to-expand-skilledtrades-training","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6055992-e6f01e0987eea0533b831ef6e7001070/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505457&Signature=C0UrGUQ2lgF77yZXYpGqHbExRSY6nXTs1PeMNAYBqGwf2CsSGFLxp9dS6m0vFiD0c8tBYl5qx~yZ01pjNwYaEsDXZ32F6TVJwv6ZX8RJ2-HCR6JT71GZ10LO9flkXektLnth-beYXZ-7RGfOuJBe94nHd7qE1rkZmv08jirQ4Sw8tnsrYOqnLNDwlm7yI2aWj0gwdvQ6LOMs4yszlChbHrxS~fHRbXIokAPlRZoQ~claWFNIMtQMrUEMQtqvi13ApuYCxZ5N7nP9lI-9SVJvhcBAajliNqQdtRwbXnRUkbuEUV6EzS9jrk8XRc6Dc27GiJv9W2sdburVu7pdMtU0rg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Appropriations - Labor and Economic Opportunity ","date","2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","article","Sam Buford Woodworking Institute founder Luke Barnett asked a House appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday for a one‑time $12,000,000 state capital investment to complete the first phase of a $48,000,000 master plan that would raise the school’s annual graduates from 24 to 60 and expand continuing education courses.

The request comes as Barnett and the institute argue Michigan faces a widening shortage of carpenters, plumbers and other skilled tradespeople that is slowing construction, infrastructure and other projects statewide. Barnett told the Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity that the institute’s expansion would also support growth in Michigan’s forest‑products sector and the emerging mass‑timber construction market.

Barnett, founder and president of the Sam Buford Woodworking Institute in Adrian, said the school currently admits 24 students a year, is turning away “five students to every one that we accept,” and has a 100 percent employment rate for the 2023 graduating class. “Right now, we’re in a crisis that’s being felt all throughout the United States,” Barnett said, describing a stigma against trades education and an industry‑wide shortage of skilled labor.

Barnett provided financial and program details: a phased $48,000,000 master plan with a Phase 1 capital cost of $16,200,000 to scale students from 20 to 60 per year, and an already secured $4,200,000 in local investment. He said requested state funds would be for capital costs only and that operational costs are covered by tuition revenue. Barnett said tuition for the one‑year program is $16,000 and that graduates’ starting salaries range from about $52,000 to $60,000.

Barnett also described recent institutional milestones: state licensure as a post‑secondary school, approval in 2022 for veterans to use GI Bill benefits, an August 2024 accreditation through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, and employer recruiting from firms including MOD Interiors, Vogue Furniture, Joseph Joop and Inception Woodworks. He said international and out‑of‑state continuing education students and visiting employers such as luxury interiors firm Metrica demonstrate demand beyond Michigan.

Barnett said the institute is working with Adrian College to create credit pathways that combine hands‑on training and academic credentials, and with the Community College Association on a pilot to grant higher‑value college credits for trades training. He argued state investment would boost the local economy by attracting students and workers, supporting tourism from continuing education courses, and helping address project delays caused by the trades shortage.

Subcommittee members asked Barnett about program scale and employer demand. Barnett said 100 percent employment was “a particularly good year” but that employers routinely recruit students on campus; he said he expects placement rates to remain high if the program preserves its quality. A student, William Toth, described hands‑on instruction and employer engagement as central to his decision to enroll.

No formal appropriation vote occurred during the hearing. The subcommittee approved routine minutes earlier in the meeting; Rep. Cabot moved to approve the April 30 minutes and the chair reported there were no objections and the minutes were approved.

Barnett closed by urging legislators to treat trades education as a primary pathway for well‑paying work, not an “alternative” route, and to consider the institute’s capital request as part of broader workforce and economic development in Michigan.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations - Labor and Economic Opportunity | Wednesday, May 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Sam Buford Woodworking Institute founder Luke Barnett asked a House appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday for a one‑time $12,000,000 state capital investment to complete the first phase of a $48,000,000 master plan that would raise the school’s annual graduates from 24 to 60 and expand continuing education courses.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Labor and Economic Opportunity, Appropriations, House of Representative, Committees\t\t\t\t\t, Legislative, Michigan","taxId",30765,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6055987,"TeamUp Academy asks subcommittee to fund scale‑up of veteran and entry‑level manufacturing training in Southeast Michigan",2295,1935000,4230000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3312994-63bbff0e524381d2ce4fd410bac4876a&start=1935&end=4230","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3312994-63bbff0e524381d2ce4fd410bac4876a/thumbnail_1935000.jpg","/articles/6055987/Michigan/TeamUp-Academy-asks-subcommittee-to-fund-scaleup-of-veteran-and-entrylevel-manufacturing-training-in-Southeast-Michigan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6055987-3a74150a797d9ea0bd7b6274ea7f56e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770505457&Signature=HcvXip4x9Rl1Buit4APpZTRWZnRTlSYmBK8xVkb1nfm9HM7jYsrO4lFvnjjAewcxrQgGohMngxp6jdgnOi7JkeeKc3RcFmQHKgaUkUeWrWbZjTyFOgvlAOYTJ2PObnaELBwNhMcYeLoTsbGhyTlKawMYKPC8H0HaA1OW7aw03DY9jjrQ3Cia~lyh99j~c-WWalPotiH30rTzfEmOqg82kHThD8p90waBgOKCJOOTlbnrHt8G2Zl3TGEXame9NuMDvZ9isw7U3Whll4iMppYPp9hM5nZTj5XTt-F02y1t63xBPeaq9uUXZv9U9yJN7Zf4WimKl-E0hJ~tno9Mi3I2FQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","TeamUp Academy founder John Bones asked a House appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday for state support to expand a nonprofit vocational training and placement program that serves veterans, returning citizens and other jobseekers in Southeast Michigan.

Bones told the Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity that a modest state investment would increase the academy’s training capacity by roughly 200 percent — from about 9–10 trainees per month to a target of 25 per month (roughly 300 individuals annually) — and expand stackable certificates, counseling and employer partnerships that the nonprofit says will improve sustainable placement.

“Starting right, to left, we have Kevin Lehi … great veteran, came from Dingell Hospital,” Bones said as he introduced instructors, graduates and program partners. Bones described an initial pilot in April 2024 and said TeamUp now runs a 30‑day entry bootcamp and 8‑week step‑up programs in CNC machining, forklift certification and other industry skills.

Tamiko Richardson, education and training director for Cerrado Corporation (the organization Bones identified as a national partner), described a Warriors to Work pipeline intended to bring transitioning veterans — including service members leaving the San Diego area — to Michigan for training and placement. Richardson said Cerrado operates Job Corps centers in Genesee and Wayne counties and would support recruitment, training and housing connections.

TeamUp’s current facility in Warren is a 40,000‑square‑foot production‑oriented site that the organization uses for hands‑on training; Bones said the academy partners with employers in automotive, aerospace and defense and is working with Macomb Community College to scale curriculum delivery. He named employer partners and said one employer expects to recruit roughly 70 hires in the next 18 months.

Bones and partners set placement goals and program metrics: they seek an 85 percent veteran placement rate (up from about 50 percent currently), expect a 35 percent reduction in justice‑involved participants entering the criminal justice system through training supports, and forecast that roughly 15 percent of trainees could be out‑of‑state recruits who relocate for work. Bones said the academy uses an LMS that includes SME tooling‑based modules and plans to add Lincoln Electric welding certifications.

A veteran graduate, Donald Teasley, told the subcommittee the training helped him rebuild job skills and confidence: “Since I started the class, they’ve given us a lot of skills,” Teasley said, citing hands‑on training, soft skills and mentorship.

Representative Martis raised questions about TeamUp’s origins in a church and whether state funding would create any conflict with nondiscrimination laws such as the Elliot‑Larsen Civil Rights Act; Bones said the program separates mentorship offered by partner churches from training and that placements and services are provided without discrimination.

No formal appropriation vote was taken during the hearing. Bones said he had submitted an appropriation request to the subcommittee but did not specify an amount during his presentation.

The subcommittee adjourned after presentations and questions.","TeamUp Academy founder John Bones asked a House appropriations subcommittee for state support to expand a nonprofit program that trains veterans and other jobseekers for manufacturing careers and to scale capacity from about 9–10 trainees per month to a target of 25 per month.","actionData","errors"]

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Sam Buford Woodworking Institute asks state for $12 million to expand skilled‑trades training

TeamUp Academy asks subcommittee to fund scale‑up of veteran and entry‑level manufacturing training in Southeast Michigan