Kent ISD – More local students will be able to receive career and technical education in the area of advanced manufacturing, thanks to a $900,000 allocation to support advanced manufacturing programming at Kent Career Tech Center.
The funding is a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was recently signed by President Joe Biden after approval from Congress. The community project was put forward and ushered through the process by U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer.
“We’re grateful for the partnership and leadership from Congressman Meijer,” Kent ISD Superintendent Ron Koehler said in a press release. “The appropriation will help us expand career and technical education programming to meet the increasing demand in our community. The funding will also help students gain exposure to multiple manufacturing fields while using industry standard equipment.
Koehler said advanced manufacturing “continues to be a leading economic driver in West Michigan, and this will help more students be trained and career ready in this critical industry. West Michigan’s manufacturing industry benefits when students are equipped with recognized credentials earned through hands-on learning in state-of-the-art labs with instruction from educators who are industry experts.”
