GA Dept of Ed Partnering with Manufacturers to Provide Trade Skills Training in High Schools

The Georgia Department of Education is inviting Georgia school districts to apply to participate in the SME PRIME program by Feb. 22, 2023.

SME PRIME stands for Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education.

Informed by local manufacturers, SME PRIME builds tailored manufacturing/engineering programs in high schools across the country, providing equipment, curriculum, teacher training, and student scholarships, along with funding for manufacturing-focused extra-curricular activities.

SME PRIME is focused on seven different pathways: additive manufacturing, metrology/quality, CAD/CAM, industrial maintenance, machining & fabrication, mechatronics & robotics, and welding, and is aligned with more than 30 industry-recognized certifications.

The Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Association of Manufacturers have partnered with the SME Education Foundation to provide a unique industry-informed, hands-on manufacturing program to select high school students across the state, through the Foundation’s SME PRIME program.

“Our mission in Georgia is to prepare students for life – which includes connecting them with the skills they need to find meaningful work and a successful future,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “This partnership will provide students with an educational experience that is hands-on and relevant, preparing students to participate in Georgia’s high-demand manufacturing industry.”

Details about the SME PRIME program are coming to Georgia high schools and were presented to Georgia educators at the Georgia CTAE Administrators Winter Conference on February 8-10.

The initiative is being supported with a $4.5 million dollar grant from GaDOE to help ensure a qualified pipeline of talent for the state’s growing manufacturing industry.

Nationwide, SME PRIME serves 8,000 students annually in 81 schools across 22 states.

Of all students who graduate from the PRIME program, 89 percent enter a manufacturing field.