SAE International’s professional development department has pledged support for the Michigan Academy for Green Mobility Alliance (MAGMA) through participation on the governing board and some working subcommittees, along with hosting a MAGMA web page at www.sae.org/magma. SAE International’s Career Center also is including MAGMA in its efforts to link job seekers with relevant employment opportunities.
MAGMA was created in response to the rapid growth in the renewable energy sector. The Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth collaborated with automotive manufacturing employers, educational institutions and Michigan Works!, and in conjunction with the Governor’s No Worker Left Behind Green Jobs Initiative.
Over the next five years, automotive manufacturers and suppliers project a need for more than 1,000 additional engineers and technicians that are trained to work in hybrid vehicle design and manufacturing.
MAGMA’s mission is to ensure the automotive industry has the trained engineers and technicians they need to grow and prosper in the emerging green economy. That mission is being fulfilled through a series of MAGMA-approved, graduate-level certificate programs in vehicle electrification, all of which include hands-on training. The three Michigan universities that have obtained MAGMA approval include Michigan Technological University, University of Detroit Mercy, and Wayne State University. Since 2009, more than 300 working and displaced engineers have enrolled in these MAGMA-endorsed programs.
MAGMA is working on expanding its curricular focus to include advanced combustion engine diesel technology for engineers and vehicle electrification for technicians.
The other significant attribute of the MAGMA initiative has been their success in garnering access to federal and state training funds to help subsidize tuition for the approved training programs.