$2M grant will bring high-tech gear to NMC

By DAN NIELSEN dnielsen@record-eagle.com | Posted: Sunday, March 15, 2015 11:42 amMore - Click here

TRAVERSE CITY — A $2 million state grant will give students at Northwestern Michigan College a chance to train on state-of-the-art equipment in nursing, information technology and advanced technology.
"The beauty of this grant is they wanted to have this available quickly," said Ed Bailey, NMC's technical division director.

Plans call for the equipment to be purchased soon, installed over the summer and available for student use in the fall.

"This really is a game-changer for NMC," Bailey said. "This will enable us to get state-of-the-art equipment we otherwise could not obtain."

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in late February announced $50 million in grants to 18 community colleges to train Michigan students for careers in the skilled trades. NMC received $2,078,174, about 4 percent of the total. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation approved 18 of the 27 applications received for funding in the Community College Skilled Trades Equipment Program.

Snyder said the grants from the state program will help the schools buy machines and other tools. Each college had to provide a 25 percent match to qualify for the state grant.

"This is the biggest grant we know of providing equipment to community colleges," said Mike Shore of the MEDC. "We think this is going to be a big payoff for the state."

NMC's nursing program will get a variety of simulation equipment. The college's information technology program will get server computers and other equipment. Its advanced technology program will get a new underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV), side-scan sonar gear and unmanned aerial equipment.
"We're basically going to outfit an entire high-tech lab," said Bailey.

The grant application included a wide range of specific pieces of equipment, including a Seaeye Falcon ROV, a hydraulic articulated crane, a pair of welding system simulators and a Sensefly eBEE UAV drone.
SenseFly's website markets the autonomous ultra-light eBee for a variety of applications including mining, emergency situations and disaster management. Made mostly of light foam, the eBee can be disassembled and folded up for storage. It has a wingspan of about three feet. The autonomous flight path can be planned in advance with the included software that allows the user plan, simulate and fly designated missions by just defining a mapped area.

Bailey said application for the grant program had to demonstrate "academic programs that aligned with the talent needs in the region."

NMC used the "Framework for Talent" developed by Northwest Michigan Works to help guide the writing of its grant application.

"Each proposal was evaluated comprehensively and individually," said Ryan Hundt, MEDC senior program manager.


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