Apple to open “Manufacturing Academy” with Michigan State University next month
Perhaps in response to pressure from President Trump to make its products in the US, Apple will open its “Apple Manufacturing Academy” in downtown Detroit next month.
The academy, which is set to open Aug. 19, is a partnership with Michigan State University that the company says will help American companies “innovate and grow.” Apple’s senior VP of operations, Sabih Khan, said in the press release:
“The Apple Manufacturing Academy will train businesses across America to implement smart manufacturing techniques that are creating opportunity and shaping the future of technology.”
The Trump administration has been jawboning Apple into making iPhones in the US, a quixotic proposal considering the deeply integrated supply chains in China that the company replies on, high labor costs, and a lack of mid-level engineers in the US. An American-made iPhone could cost up to $3,500, according to some estimates.
The new Apple program promises to do more than train American workers to use tiny screwdrivers. The academy will be working with small to medium-sized businesses and offer instruction on incorporating AI and “smart manufacturing techniques.”
“The Apple Manufacturing Academy will train businesses across America to implement smart manufacturing techniques that are creating opportunity and shaping the future of technology.”
The Trump administration has been jawboning Apple into making iPhones in the US, a quixotic proposal considering the deeply integrated supply chains in China that the company replies on, high labor costs, and a lack of mid-level engineers in the US. An American-made iPhone could cost up to $3,500, according to some estimates.
The new Apple program promises to do more than train American workers to use tiny screwdrivers. The academy will be working with small to medium-sized businesses and offer instruction on incorporating AI and “smart manufacturing techniques.”
