On Thursday, September 10, the GE Aerospace Foundation announced the launch of its Next Engineers program in Grand Rapids, in partnership with Grand Valley State University's Padnos College of Engineering.

The program has reached more than 34,000 students worldwide since 2021 and is expected to engage over 4,000 students in the Grand Rapids area, bringing a proven global college and career readiness program to West Michigan that helps students explore engineering careers, develop in-demand skills, and prepare for future engineering degrees.

“We are proud to bring Next Engineers to Grand Rapids and expand access to engineering education in a community where GE Aerospace has a strong presence,” said Germaine Hunter, Vice President of Workplace & Employee Experience and GE Aerospace Foundation Board Member. “Engineering has the power to transform lives and communities by opening doors for students to tackle real-world challenges.”

Programming in Grand Rapids will include Engineering Discovery for early secondary school students and Engineering Academy for older students preparing for higher education. Through project-based learning, mentorship from GE Aerospace volunteers, and career exploration activities, students gain exposure to a wide range of engineering disciplines and pathways. Eligible participants who complete Engineering Academy and pursue engineering degrees will also receive scholarship support, adding to the 84% of Next Engineers graduates in post-secondary education and apprenticeships.

PCE will facilitate the local outreach efforts, building on the college's successful track record in that area.  In the most recent school year, PCE interacted with more than 15,000 K-12 students through a variety of engagements, including the annual STEPS camp, which introduces students to aviation every summer and First Robotics, which GVSU hosts and supports. 

“Introducing K-12 students to engineering and inspiring them to see the many opportunities engineering provides is at the heart of what we do at GVSU and we’re thrilled to partner with the GE Aerospace Foundation on this important work,” said Bayo Ogundipe, GVSU Padnos College of Engineering Dean.

The Grand Rapids launch builds on the continued global growth of Next Engineers, including current and alumni programs in Cincinnati, Ohio; Greenville, South Carolina; Staffordshire, United Kingdom; Johannesburg, South Africa; Warsaw, Poland; Bengaluru, India; and the New York Capital Region, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the future engineering workforce.

Students, families, and schools interested in learning more can visit: https://www.nextengineers.org/en/locations/grandrapids