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

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.