OP-ED: EDUCATION IS KEY TO REVIVING MICHIGAN MANUFACTURING
In case you missed it… Mike Rogers penned an op-ed in The Detroit News about how education is key to reviving Michigan manufacturing, specifically by bringing shop class to every high school, improving literacy rates, investing in skilled trades, and expanding apprenticeship programs.
Rogers: Education is key to reviving Michigan manufacturing
October 15, 2025
Growing up, my Dad worked as a shop teacher at Redford Union High School. It wasn’t industrial arts in our house — that would’ve been a backhand. It was shop. My Dad taught shop because he knew that the cornerstone of this country was to build things here. And in Michigan, we used to.
We built everything from vehicles to tanks and ships, which the military needs. All those things are still being built; they’re just not being built here, and Michigan is suffering the consequences of it. From January 2019 to February 2025 alone, we lost nearly 28,000 manufacturing jobs.
It’s time for a revival of manufacturing.
With President Donald Trump reshoring manufacturing back to the United States, we need an advocate to land those jobs right here in Michigan. That’s step one.
Step two: We need to invest in skilled trades and revamp our education systems to prepare students for the workforce. Rather than paying for someone to get an Elizabethan literature degree, we should be helping them get jobs in trades.
I’m hearing from manufacturers on the road who’ve told me that they’re struggling to hire because their applicants can’t read measuring tapes. Why? They can’t do fractions.
Right now, a majority of kids aren’t reading at grade level in 4th grade or meeting proficiency standards in math. If a student can’t read at grade level by 4th grade, they have a 66% chance of ending up in jail or on welfare. When Democrats repealed the Read by Grade Three law a couple of years ago, schools started passing students along from grade to grade who couldn’t read or do basic math. It’s sentencing these kids to poverty. We have to fix that.
Strong schools are a building block, not just for our workforce, but in preparing students for a life of prosperity.
We should also be teaching shop class in every school, just like we do math, reading, physical education, and languages. There’s no reason why we should be graduating generations of students who don’t know how to read a ruler or twist a wrench.
That wouldn’t fly when I was growing up. My dad had a rule for my four brothers and me when we were in school: we either had to work for him, play a sport, or get a job. I chose to work in a factory. And in my lifetime, I’ve worked at two: one where I helped build convertibles, and another where I made parts that were used for dashboards.
These were good jobs that taught me to work hard and make something for myself. We can get back to that, and we will. Every student should have the tools they need to be successful throughout their educational journey, and beyond. To accomplish that, we also need to remember that education isn’t one size fits all.
College isn’t the only option for students graduating from high school. Many students don’t want to go to a four-year university, and they shouldn’t have to. There are fantastic opportunities right now that don’t require a college degree, such as working as an electrician, a welder, or in another skilled trade.
Apprenticeship programs, in particular, prepare people for these jobs by giving them hands-on experience in skilled trades. Trump has been a champion on this issue. In April, he signed an executive order to expand apprenticeship programs that prepare students for careers in manufacturing and other skilled trades. That’s critical, especially now.
Currently, one in four Michiganians is expected to leave the state within 10 years, largely because they can’t find job opportunities here.
These apprenticeships serve as a pipeline to help connect graduates with jobs and keep them in our state. That way, folks walk away from their apprenticeship with zero student debt, years of work experience, and an in-demand, high-paying job.
Students need to know that they can build their careers and families here. We can build stronger schools here. We can build out our workforce here.
As senator, I will work with President Trump and our next governor to make it happen. Together, we will revive Michigan manufacturing, bring back jobs, set future generations up for success, and get Michigan working again.
Continue reading at The Detroit News.
Learn more about Mike Rogers and his plan to Get Michigan Working Again at RogersForSenate.com.
###
