DETROIT (WXYZ) — Michigan Central has announced a partnership with Grand Valley State University to help find skilled talent in the mobility, advanced manufacturing, and robotics industries.
The partnership will bring Grand Valley's students, faculty, and adult learners into the ecosystem of Michigan Central in a way that links academic learning with hands-on experience. The idea is to give all participants access to the network of startups and employers at Michigan Central, along with the complex's state of the art infrastructure.
Michigan Central says the alliance will help connect Detroiters to emerging careers and future industries.
“Michigan Central was designed as an open platform where education, industry, and community unite to solve real-world challenges,” said Carolina Pluszczynski, COO of Michigan Central, in a news release. “This partnership with Grand Valley State University is a natural extension of that mission—equipping learners of all ages with the tools and connections they need to thrive in high-growth industries like mobility, advanced manufacturing, and robotics, while fostering a more accessible and prosperous region.”
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to inclusive innovation, workforce readiness, and educational access for students in Detroit and throughout Southeast Michigan,” said Philomena Mantella, President of Grand Valley State University, in a news release. “Together, we’re building bridges between higher education, industry, and community.”
According to Michigan Central, the "partnership introduces early pathways for young people to connect with higher education—offering access to credentialing and four-year degree opportunities that bring college-level learning into the ecosystem for the first time—through initiatives like GVSU’s Rep4 and Federal TRIO programming for middle and high schoolers."
The partnership is already underway, and youth programming will be launching early in 2026.
