JACKSON — An advanced manufacturing grant request is moving through the state budget process as State Rep. Kathy Schmaltz advocates for $200,000 to equip the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Jackson.
Schmaltz testified before a state budget subcommittee alongside Shop Rat Foundation Executive Director Kelly Burr Kofflin, outlining the need for funding to purchase Computer Numerical Control, or CNC, machinery.
According to Schmaltz, the Shop Rat Foundation and Jackson Area Manufacturers Association have raised more than $3.8 million to secure the facility and complete infrastructure work. The requested $200,000 would serve as final funding to equip the center with 16 CNC machines dedicated to education and workforce training.
Kofflin said the center is designed to complement existing programs at Jackson College and the Jackson Area Career Center, expanding capacity for youth and adult learners seeking careers in manufacturing fields.
The advanced manufacturing grant would support training tied to automotive, biomedical and aerospace industries, where employers report ongoing skilled labor shortages.
The funding request remains under consideration as lawmakers continue budget negotiations in Lansing.