By Patrick Rouse

Workforce and Continuing Education, Engineering and Advanced Technology, director

Industrial technology maintenance and robotics technicians possess the most in-demand skills in manufacturing today, and I am pleased to announce a free training program that will put you on a fast track to join them.

Called Operation Next, it is offered through LIFT, a public/private partnership between the American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute, the Department of Defense and academia. Train at your own pace, with classes offered both virtually and in a hands-on environment. Previously a retraining program for exiting military personnel, its scope has been widened to retrain civilians employed by small to medium-sized manufacturers whose livelihoods have been impacted by the pandemic.

Funds for the program are provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, supplemented by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Manufacturing Engineering Education Program.

The free training is also available to members of the Michigan National Guard and Reserve, providing them with an opportunity to earn industry-recognized credentials for their next careers.

Macomb will serve as training provider for certificates in Industrial Technology Maintenance (ITM) and Robotics Technician. Additional training in welding and CNC machining is offered at the LIFT Learning Lab in Detroit.

How in-demand are ITM and robotics technicians? The manufacturing industry projects that nearly 40,000 combined job openings will be available annually over the next eight years. And, the credentials earned through Operation Next allows these technicians to work anywhere in the country.

I hope you take advantage of this excellent opportunity by filling out the registration form today. Please don’t delay, space is limited.

And if you have any questions, contact me at 586.498.4108 or rousep933@macomb.edu.

By Aimee Adamski, director, Admissions and Outreach

Many people need a fresh start at some point, but it’s not every day the opportunity comes along. That’s why I’m excited to tell you about the state’s Michigan Reconnect scholarship program! Launched in February as part of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s ambitious “Sixty by 30” plan, Reconnect hopes to grow the number of adults with a skill certificate or college degree to 60 percent by the start of the next decade.

How Reconnect sets out to do this is by providing financial assistance toward in-district tuition, as well as some additional mandatory costs at Macomb. This includes registration, student services and technology, and facilities fees. Important to note is that Reconnect is a last-dollar program, meaning that Pell Grant funds are first applied to tuition and mandatory expenses.

If this sounds like it might apply to you, here are a few things to note.

Applicants must:

• Be at least 25 years old at the time of application
• Have lived in Michigan for one or more years
• Have earned a high school diploma or GED
• Have not yet completed an associate or bachelor’s degree

Want more information? Register for one of our upcoming info sessions at www.macomb.edu/AdmissionsEvents, visit www.macomb.edu/reconnect or contact us at reconnect@macomb.edu. We look forward to helping you meet your goals!

By Carrie Jeffers, Registrar

I’m excited to tell you about Multiple-Semester Registration!  It will become available to you in March and is a great opportunity to secure all your classes for Spring/Summer 2021, Fall 2021 and Winter 2022 semesters at one time. I hope you will take advantage of it!

This means you won’t have to rush to register each semester or worry about getting the classes you need. By registering in advance, you will have the confidence of knowing that your classes have been reserved for you, and you can focus on your education.

If you choose to use Multiple-Semester Registration, the same tuition payment deadlines apply for each individual semester as they have in the past, and tuition payment plans continue to be available as well. Think of it as a plan now, pay later approach to registration.

The Student FAQs can answer most of the questions you may have about Multiple-Semester Registration. If not, please email answer@macomb.edu and, depending on your question, a representative from Counseling and Academic Advising, Financial Aid, or Records and Registration will get back to you.

Multiple-Semester Registration has been designed to provide you with a useful and time-saving tool for securing your class schedule each academic year.

Please give it a try and let us know what you think!