SME Education Foundation tells Michigan lawmakers PRIME puts students on manufacturing career paths

Rob Luce, vice president of the SME Education Foundation, told the Michigan House Committee on Education and Workforce that the nonprofit’s PRIME program pairs local manufacturers with high schools to build custom manufacturing curricula that align with employer needs.

Luce said PRIME (Partnership, Response and Manufacturing Education), established in 2011, is in 128 schools across 26 states and serves about 12,000 students annually. He told committee members that nearly 40% of the PRIME network — 51 schools — are in Michigan, and that last year those 51 schools enrolled roughly 4,000 students who earned about 3,500 certifications. Luce said the state of Michigan has supported PRIME through three appropriations totaling almost $15,000,000.

The program, Luce said, supplies schools with industrial‑grade equipment, a four‑year project‑based curriculum aligned with state standards (about 180 hours of instruction per year), and connections to industry‑recognized certifications. ‘‘We provide about a quarter of $1,000,000 in advanced manufacturing equipment,’’ Luce said, adding that the equipment is intentionally the same industrial models students will encounter in the workplace. He also described teacher professional development, extracurricular supports (SkillsUSA, FIRST Robotics) and sustainability grants from SME’s Education Foundation to cover ongoing costs.

Dr. Deb Volzer, SME vice president for workforce development (joining remotely), described the Manufacturing Imperative workforce pipeline challenge, which she said invited 25 institutions across 17 states and has enrolled thousands of adult learners. Volzer told the committee SME has run nearly 4,000 community engagements, reached roughly 100,000 people through outreach events, and recorded about 10,000 industry‑recognized credentials awarded in the last year.

Luce and Volzer emphasized the programs’ employer alignment. Luce described core PRIME pathways — additive manufacturing, metrology/quality and CAD/CAM — plus a locally chosen elective shaped by manufacturers’ needs; he said mechatronics and robotics have been the most popular elective in recent years. Luce also reported that, in the 2024–25 academic year, 91% of PRIME graduating seniors pursued manufacturing either in postsecondary education (about half) or directly into careers.

During questions, lawmakers raised access and scalability. When a representative noted two intermediate school districts in her district were not part of PRIME, Luce said demand typically exceeds available slots and pointed to funding, outreach and intentional efforts to reach ‘‘CTE deserts’’ as barriers to wider participation. Asked whether PRIME can adapt for incumbent workers facing AI‑related displacement, Luce and Volzer said SME is updating curricula and exploring how to incorporate AI‑related skills into PRIME and postsecondary offerings.

Why it matters: Committee members and presenters framed the programs as a workforce pipeline strategy tied to economic competitiveness and regional resilience. Lawmakers were receptive but raised practical barriers — funding and outreach — that the presenters said must be addressed to expand the program to more districts.

The committee proceeded to other business after the presentation and questions.