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Calumet Electronics is linking workforce development to a major shift into advanced organic substrate manufacturing. The company says its Center for Advanced Substrate Technology (CAST) opened in September 2026 and that current employees are being upskilled for the new work, while partnerships with schools, Michigan Technological University and industry programs aim to build a longer-term talent pipeline.
Why Calumet is investing in workforce development
Calumet’s workforce effort is tied to a change in what the company makes, not simply a broad recruitment campaign. Its September 3, 2026 announcement says CAST opened as the first dedicated panel-level organic substrate manufacturing facility in the United States. The company describes the facility as having Class 1000 clean rooms and processes that include semi-additive processing and embedded trace technologies. These facility details are Calumet’s description.
Organic substrates are used in advanced electronic packaging, where they help connect and support semiconductor components. Moving into this type of production requires people who can work with specialized processes and manufacturing controls. Calumet says existing employees are being upskilled for advanced substrate manufacturing roles, and identifies Michigan Technological University and SmartZone partners as part of its next-generation talent effort.
What the new facility means for current employees
For current staff, the company’s stated approach is to develop employees for advanced substrate roles as production capacity expands. Calumet reported more than 290 employees in its September 2026 facility-opening announcement, but it did not disclose how many are in training, how many have completed it, or what credentials or wage changes are involved.
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Earlier figures need to be read as plans rather than current results. In October 2023, the State of Michigan reported that Calumet had approximately 350 employees and planned to retain 270 for existing production while scaling substrate production over three years. The state announcement also said 40 existing employees would receive initial upskilling. It does not establish that those employees completed training or that the planned retention and training totals were achieved.
How schools and students fit into the talent pipeline
K–12 STEM learning
In June 2023, Hancock Public Schools received an $18,000 award from Michigan’s MiSTEM Network to work with Calumet and Michigan Tech on K–12 STEM curriculum. The proposed grade-by-grade, project-based activities would introduce students to printed circuit board and computer-chip technologies. Hancock Public Schools superintendent Steve Patchin said the partners would develop “K-12, grade-by-grade, project-based learning experiences.”
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Calumet’s chief technology officer, Meredith LaBeau, described the purpose as preparing future workers for advanced manufacturing, saying the company must “look to the future for talent that can manufacture the next generation of circuit boards at Calumet Electronics.” The award announcement describes a planned curriculum initiative; it does not report student participation totals or later career outcomes.
College, technical education and industry programs
Calumet’s Education & Outreach page lists support for IPC Education Foundation STEM programs, an IPC student chapter at Michigan Tech, local career and technical education, college internships and workforce development. Together, these activities reach learners at different stages: school-age students exploring STEM, college students gaining experience, and people preparing for technical careers.
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The company’s April 2024 capacity announcement also described investment in standard operating procedure training and workforce development alongside equipment and campus expansion. Calumet said its campus had grown to more than 200,000 square feet through recent investments. This is context for the company’s broader production and training environment, not a measure of training outcomes.
What the investment figures do—and do not—show
Investment totals in the announcements refer to different dates and descriptions, so they should not be treated as interchangeable:
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| Announcement | Figure | What it describes |
|---|---|---|
| State of Michigan, October 2023 | Up to $50.98 million | Expected total capital investment for the project, as projected in the state announcement. |
| State of Michigan, October 2023 | $7.5 million grant; up to $758,877 estimated exemption value | A Michigan Business Development Program grant approved by the Michigan Strategic Fund and a 15-year State Essential Services Assessment exemption estimated at up to that value. |
| Calumet Electronics, September 2026 | $54.7 million | The company’s description of the public and private investment that made CAST possible. |
The state’s 2023 projection and Calumet’s 2026 public-and-private investment description have different dates and wording. They are not directly equivalent accounting measures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is confirmed, and what remains unreported
- Confirmed by Calumet in 2026: CAST opened, the company reported more than 290 employees, and existing employees are being upskilled for advanced substrate manufacturing roles.
- Announced by Michigan in 2023 as project plans: retaining 270 employees for existing production and initially upskilling 40 employees during the scale-up.
- Not established in the cited announcements: the current number of trainees, training completion, credentials earned, wage outcomes, current vacancies or a quantified effect on local employment.
Calumet also announced 75 new jobs in July 2021 in connection with an earlier expansion to round-the-clock production. That historical hiring announcement is separate from the CAST workforce effort and is not evidence of current openings.
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