Gogebic Community College receives grant from Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity

Gogebic Community College has received a $476,496 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Michigan Industry-Driven Skills Training Program (MIDSTP). The grant will expand advanced manufacturing training in the Upper Peninsula of the state and will strengthen the workforce pipeline in the region.

According to an article on Gogebic Community College’s website, Glen Ackerman-Behr, who is a business faculty member at Gogebic Community College, was quoted as saying of the award, “This investment gives Gogebic Community College an opportunity to bring advanced technical training closer to the people and employers who need it. In a rural area, we cannot always expect employees to travel an hour or more to access training. This grant allows us to reduce that barrier while building training around the skills employers actually need. This is about more than adding equipment or creating another training site. The goal is to create a model that can grow with the needs of employers and communities across the western Upper Peninsula. By connecting our Ironwood and Iron River locations, we can make training more accessible and build a stronger regional workforce.”

The grant, which will run through June 30, 2029, will allow the college to expand training opportunities for individuals pursuing advanced manufacturing through the establishment of a complementary training laboratory at Trident Maritime Systems in Iron River. This site will work in tandem with the existing Skilled Trades Center in Ironwood to provide even more people with the training they need, utilizing a shared curriculum, compatible equipment, and shared instructional capacity.

The college will work directly with partner employers to ensure its students are receiving the hands-on training opportunities that correspond with the current needs of the advanced manufacturing workforce. 

Gogebic Community College is one of five Michigan Community Colleges that has been awarded funding through the Michigan Industry-Driven Skills Training Program.

For more information about Gogebic Community College, visit the school’s website.