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Governor Rick Snyder Visits American Center For Mobility In Ypsilanti Township To Make Announcement

Governor Rick Snyder was joined by representatives from 15 Michigan colleges and universities today at the American Center for Mobilityin Ypsilanti Township.  They gathered to make an announcement.

The names of the university representatives were read as they signed an agreement to create an Academic Consortium.  This program will train the next generation of high-tech talent at the autonomous vehicle testing site.

Governor Rick Snyderexplained how it will help Washtenaw County's economy.

"Well, jobs and that's why I gave a specific shoutout to Washtenaw Community College because it's fabulous, I think they have the first mobility technician program in the world, to my knowledge. Which is talking about, how do you get more technicians in the auto dealerships? Eventually, that can do vision systems and radar. All the things that you will see in autonomous vehicles."

The University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University are also among the schools that will take part in the program.  EMU President James Smithsays his students will benefit from it.

"We can actually do classrooms here in the future. So yes, proximity will be a big addition for us."

The program is expected to be up and running by next year.Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support.  Make your donation to WEMU todayto keep your community NPR station thriving.

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— Jorge Avellan is a reporter for 89.1 WEMU News. Contact him at 734.487.3363 or email him javellan@emich.edu

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