NEWS & EVENTS
Gilbert Family Foundation and LIFT Partner to Accelerate Advanced Manufacturing Education and Workforce Training in Detroit
The $300,000 multi-year partnership will accelerate Detroit’s advanced manufacturing workforce and STEM talent pipeline.
DETROIT, MI — LIFT, the nonprofit national advanced materials and manufacturing innovation institute, today announced a new strategic partnership with the Gilbert Family Foundation to support accelerating advanced manufacturing training and educational opportunities for Detroiters.
The two-year investment by the Gilbert Family Foundation will increase Detroit’s advanced manufacturing talent pipeline and bridge the growing skills gap by equipping the next generation of workers with the knowledge and abilities required in high-demand, advanced manufacturing careers.
The grant will provide more students with opportunities through LIFT’s existing advanced manufacturing educational programs at its Detroit facility, from field trips to high school classes to adult certifications, including:
- Expanding the STEM Pipeline via Immersive Student Field Trips: LIFT will open its doors to the future workforce by hosting 600 Detroit-area students through 25 specialized field trips to the LIFT Learning Lab to spark interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers.
- Launching the IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing® Curriculum with the Leona Group: LIFT will continue its IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing high school curriculum, providing students from the Leona Group with foundational knowledge in materials science, advanced manufacturing systems, and real-world problem-solving through project-based learning.
- Empowering the Adult Workforce Through Operation Next® Skilled Trades Training: LIFT will formally train and credential at least 30 adults in these critical, in-demand advanced manufacturing skills, including welding, CNC machining, industrial technology maintenance, and robotics.
“This partnership between Gilbert Family Foundation and LIFT showcases our commitment to the future of Detroit’s manufacturing workforce,” said Dr. Robert Shaner, Chief Workforce Development Officer, LIFT. “Serving our youth, our manufacturers, and our home city are at the core of our mission as a national manufacturing innovation institute and we are extremely proud of this partnership which is enabling us to do more of each of those.”
About LIFT
LIFT, operated by the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is the Detroit-based, public-private partnership between the Department of War, industry, and academia, committed to the development and deployment of advanced manufacturing technologies, and implementing talent development initiatives to better prepare the workforce today and in the future. LIFT is funded in part by the Department of War with management through the Office of Naval Research. Visit https://lift.technology/or follow on LinkedIn at LIFT or on X @NewsFromLIFT to learn more.
About Gilbert Family Foundation
Gilbert Family Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation founded by Jennifer and Dan Gilbert to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and build economic opportunity in the city of Detroit. The Gilbert Family Foundation supports groundbreaking, cutting-edge research in hopes of eradicating NF1, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves anywhere in the body. Additionally, the Foundation supports the economic stability and mobility of residents in Detroit by investing in wealth-building opportunities and breaking down systemic barriers. For more information on the Gilbert Family Foundation, please visit gilbertfamilyfoundation.org.