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DG3 partners Lear on Sewing Program for Michigan workers

08 Apr '14

2 min read

In response to Michigan businesses' needs for skilled industrial sewers, Detroit Garment Group Guild (DG3), a local non-profit, and stakeholders have partnered with Minnesota-based The Makers Coalition, creating the Coalition's first chapter. This partnership brings an Industrial Sewing Certification Program (ISCP) to Southeast Michigan.

The Detroit Chapter is comprised of DG3, Henry Ford Community College Michigan Technical Education Center (HFCC M-TEC), The Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA Michigan Works!), Lear Corporation and other local employers.

The Makers Coalition is a movement to restore and build the industrial sewing heritage of America, working together to find, train and employ a proud, creative and skilled workforce for today and future generations. This is a coalition of businesses, educational institutions, non-profit organizations and service providers coming together to build a trained cut and sew industry.

SEMCA Michigan Works! will take on the role of recruiting and screening potential students, as well as seeking to identify funding for those who qualify and assisting with job placement for students who complete the program.

The first class of students will begin this September at the HFCC M-TEC in Dearborn. Embedded within this curriculum are real-world experiences from a variety of cut and sew manufacturing industries, from automotive to apparel.

"The real strength of this training is that it is being developed in close collaboration with industry leaders and local business owners," says Jen Guarino, founder, The Makers Coalition. "Program graduates will gain a specific skill set that is in demand by employers."

Lear Corporation, headquartered in Southfield, has signed on as a major corporate sponsor and has secured the machinery for the classroom.

In addition, the DG3 has reached out to cut and sew manufacturers across the State, securing commitments from these companies to interview ISCP graduates as positions become open.

"We've wanted to put a program like this into place since early in our organization's history and the time is finally right," says DG3 president Karen Buscemi. "We have an amazing group of partners, all committed to the same level of excellence, with a goal to build up our cut and sew manufacturers so they can expand their businesses, while also attracting new manufacturing companies to the state."

Detroit Garment Group Guild