Ford donated six acres for the new center. It will be 30,000-sf,and is being built with a $5 million state economic developmentgrant. Completion is set for 2002. "The center will help respond toGov. John Engler's initiative to provide training opportunities tomeet the job demand in highly skilled, technical areas," saidRandall Miller, a vice president of the college. "It's a tremendousopportunity for Dearborn."

The move is also believed to be an effort to create morehigh-tech businesses in the Southeast Michigan area, so that thechanges and fluxes of the automotive companies do not control thestate's economy. Examples include Automation Alley, a conglomerateof businesses brought together for marketing, job promotion andearning power in the Auburn Hills-Pontiac-Rochester area; and thestring of high-tech manufacturing facilities going up around AnnArbor. Local officials hope to create a second "SiliconValley."

The Dearborn project, known as M-TEC, is the second facilityunder construction in Michigan. The first is being built in Warrenat the Warren Commerce Center, a few miles from the General MotorsTech center. The Macomb County project, at 36,000-sf and costing$7.5 million, is being run by Macomb Community College. A total of18 M-TEC centers will be built throughout Michigan. Schools lookingto build facilities include Kellogg, Lansing and Oakland communitycolleges, and the communities of Escanaba and Grand Rapids.