Workforce Classes and Training

The Industrial Sewing Certificate Program trains people for entry-level jobs within the industrial sewing industry. Topics include safety, ergonomics, sewing machine operation, stitching and finishes, set-up, quality, maintenance, and troubleshooting. Students train with woven, knits, expanded vinyl, fine fabrics, and leather.

Successful program enrollees prepare for careers in:

• Automotive Sewing
• Automotive Interiors
• Clothing Manufacturing
• Boat Canvas and Interiors
• Awning Manufacturing
• Upholstering

Future career pathways include pattern making, machine repair, cutter, time study, supervisor, and engineer.

Contact: Cassandra Myers, Program Manager 313-317-6604

Course Length: 3 days, in-person, short course
Time in Class per day (hours): 6.5 hours of in-person instruction
Total Course Length (days & hours): 3 days/19.5 hours
Time in Laboratory: 10 hours
Total Course Cost Per Participant: $758

Course Description

The successful engineering of complex systems such as connected and autonomous vehicles requires that the design and methodology of these “systems of systems” follow a disciplined approach.

Systems engineering focuses on developing the appropriate framework for successful design, testing, validation, and management of complex systems over the entire life cycle of a product by carefully considering the needs and functionality of the product at the start of the development process. In this course, students will be introduced to the concepts and tools of systems engineering and how systems engineering relates to other engineering disciplines.

The course is largely activity-based with concepts introduced to support the activities and put them in the appropriate context. The course includes a group project that covers concept, stakeholders, use cases, requirements, interfaces, verification and validation, and quality assurance for a system.

Lab Project Description

Group project covering stakeholder identification, use cases, requirements definition, verification and validation, testing, and quality assurance for a CAV system or subsystem.

Course Learning Objectives

• Understand the role and responsibilities of the system engineer.
• Understand systems engineering as a multi-discipline field.
• Understand use cases, concept of operations, and identification of stakeholders.
• Understand the “system of systems” viewpoint of systems engineering.
• Understand the importance of interfaces and proper documentation.
• Understand the concept of a requirement and the different sub-types of requirements (functional, design, derived, etc.).
• Practice writing meaningful requirements from the consideration of use cases, concept of operations, stakeholder needs.
• Understand the “V” and “double V” models for system design
• Understand and be able to create system boundary diagram and system P-Diagrams
• Understand the relationship between requirements and testing.
• Understand the difference between verification and validation.
• Practice with test definition and creating a Design Verification Plan.
• Understand the FMEA as a quality assurance tool.
• Practice creating an FMEA using an appropriate worksheet.

• Complete a project that includes elements from both sides of the V-model.

• Communications, Problem Solving, and Financial Tools for CAV Programs and Projects

• Practical Functional Safety for CAV Systems Development

Course Length: 3 days, in-person, short course
Time in Class per day (hours): 6.5 hours of in-person instruction
Total Course Length (days & hours): 3 days/19.5 hours
Total Course Cost Per Participant: $890

Course Description

Information is traveling faster and being shared by more individuals than ever before. Although project management has been an established field for many years, managing complex technology projects and programs requires tools, strategies, and information beyond standard project management.

This course covers the essential managerial and technical aspects of modern technical project management. By weaving together theory and practice, the course presents an understandable, integrated view of project management. In the dynamic Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) Manufacturing Research and Development world, methods and best practices are constantly evolving. This course provides up-to-date information on how principles and effective use of software can help to manage projects. Additionally, it gives professionals an opportunity to practice appropriate tools and techniques in a classroom environment, where stretching one’s knowledge can take place. Topics include project integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk, and procurement management.

Course Learning Outcomes and Practice

• Create a project charter
• Describe project management integration
• Identify stakeholders and define customer expectations
• Define project scope and work breakdown structure
• Develop a project schedule
• Develop cost estimates
• Describe methodologies for quality assurance
• Develop a human resource plan
• Develop a communications plan
• Perform risk assessment and mitigation
• Develop a procurement management plan
• Utilize Microsoft Project software to manage a project

Course Length: 3 days, in-person, short course
Time in Class per day (hours): 6.5 hours of in-person instruction
Total Course Length (days & hours): 3 days/19.5 hours
Total Course Cost Per Participant: $998

Course Description

This course offers practical knowledge for employees in the automotive manufacturing industry working in Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) programs and projects. It provides skills practice that can be applied immediately. The course offers problem solving, financial tools, customer centered problem solving, and negotiation skills.

• Session One: Students will learn practical knowledge of project-based accounting.

• Session Two: Students will learn the basics of appropriate behavior and communication in a business environment. Personal, interpersonal, and group behaviors are discussed. Cultural issues, gender issues, and effective problem solving techniques are also covered. Students examine how to use various communication styles in interactions with team members, superiors, peers, subordinates, and clients through role-playing scenarios.

• Session Three: Students will develop and improve leadership skills. Students will review and practice effective leadership techniques that can enable them to build stronger teams with synergy. Students will also be able to examine their leadership style and compare it to effective models. Role-playing will be utilized.

Course Learning Objectives:

• Project Accounting Planning

  • Prepare a project schedule
  • Prepare a project budget including a resource, procurement, and quality plan.

• Project Accounting Execution and Controls

  • Enter expenses and prepare status reports
  • Calculate return on investment

• Costs and Financing

  • Describe cost classifications of a project including materials, labor and overhead.
  • Describe the effect of depreciable assets on overhead.
  • Use the net-present-value and internal-rate-of-return method to evaluate an investment proposal.

Course Length: 3 days, in-person, short course Time in Class per day (hours): 6.5 hours of in-person instruction Total Course Length (days & hours): 3 days/19.5 hours Total Course Cost Per Participant: $1,148 per person

Course Description

This course provides a systematic introduction to functional safety as applied to CAV technologies. The ISO 26262 standard for functional safety of road vehicles is covered, including the standard’s requirements and industry practice meeting those requirements. The course presents several standard methods of automotive system safety analyses (reliability block diagrams, FMEA, FMEDA, fault tree analysis) and how to execute them. Practical application of safety analysis to product design is emphasized using case studies and application examples drawn from the automotive industry.

Course Learning Objectives

• Understand the aims and purpose of safety analysis
• Understand how functional safety is integrated into the design process
• Familiarization with the automotive Technical Safety Requirements
• Understand the different stages of the safety life cycle, including key tasks and work products
• Familiarization with the ISO 26262 standard and understanding why it is important
• Understand how to perform hazard and risk assessment (HARA)
• Understand ASIL ratings, how they are determined and how they affect the design of a “system of systems”
• Understand how to use failure mode, effects and analysis (FMEA), failure mode, effects, and diagnostics analysis (FMEDA), fault tree analysis (FTA), and reliability block diagrams (RBD) as safety analyses
• Understand which analyses are needed, at which stage, and in which areas of development
• Understand hardware failure metrics: probabilistic metrics for random hardware failure (PMHF), single point fault metric (SPFM) and latent fault metric (LFM)
• Understand the analysis of dependent failures
• Planning, managing, and monitoring tasks over the product lifecycle

Contact Person: Dr. Patricia Chatman, Dean School of Business, Entrepreneurship and Professional Development, 313-317-6603

Employers may set aside state payroll taxes for each new hire and allocate those funds to community colleges to train these newly hired Michigan workers.

This option allows companies to expand and grow their workforce in Michigan, and even expand their operations in Michigan. The program promotes collaboration and partnerships between employers and Henry Ford College. We encourage you to contact us to meet your workforce training needs.

The Skilled Trades Training Fund (STTF) is an economic and workforce development initiative funded by the State of Michigan.

Competitive grants are awarded to employers to support training for both new and existing workers to enhance talent, productivity, and to retain skilled employees.

This effort will increase the productivity, quality, and competitiveness of Michigan's businesses. The grants, administered through Michigan Works, allow employers to collaborate with Henry Ford College to implement training plans for their workers. Grant awards are based on the number of workers in the training programs and can serve as few as two workers, or hundreds. The training must last one year or less and emphasizes training activities that can be completed within four months or fewer.

The American Apprenticeship Initiative, funded by the Department of Labor, aids industry in creating apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing, information technology, transportation, healthcare, supply chain and logistics, and non-traditional industries.

Our goal is to integrate best practices and design new models for training in high-growth sectors. Ultimately, this will increase the number of registered apprenticeships and workers' mastery of in-demand skills.

The MEDC Community Ventures (CV) program is an economic development initiative that promotes employment and social enterprise.

CV is designed to alleviate poverty and promote safe and vibrant communities. CV has an annual goal of placing 1,000 “structurally unemployed” residents from Pontiac, Detroit, Saginaw, and Flint into full-time, long-term employment.

Eligibility Requirements

Companies must in good faith hire job seekers into positions that pay at least $10 per hour, offer full-time employment or at least 30 hours per week, and place workers into permanent, year-round positions.

Job seekers must be “structurally unemployed” (they must not have the skills required to meet employers' needs). Also, they must face one or more of the following challenges:

• Insufficient education to pursue a sustainable career
• Be functionally illiterate
• Fall below the poverty line
• Lack options for long-term employment
• Be an ex-offender
• Be an at-risk youth
• Have a recognized disability

Job seekers in the CV program must be residents of Detroit, Pontiac, Saginaw or Flint.