Michigan College Group to Train Students at Autonomous Vehicle Test Center

A consortium of community colleges in southeast Michigan next month will open a workforce training office for autonomous and connected cars on the site of the new American Center for Mobility (ACM) in Ypsilanti Township, Mich.

The initiative is led by Washtenaw Community College (WCC) and Wayne County Community College District. Talks also are under way with Macomb Community College. The group is leasing space from the Wayne County Airport Authority to house a training center at the adjacent Willow Run Airport terminal.

The program will help the schools develop curriculums related to emerging autonomous/connected vehicle technologies, WCC says. By working together, the colleges aim to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, share resources and allow students to work in a collaborative environment.

More details will be provided on Thursday during a presentation at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island. Panelists will discuss the role of education in creating a “talent pipeline for the mobility workforce."

Construction of the first phase of the 335-acre ACM is due to be completed by year-end. Announced in early 2016, the site eventually will include high-speed tracks, off-road areas and highway overpasses with multilevel interchanges to test self-driving cars in real-world situations.