A statewide effort to expand Michigan apprenticeships by 15 percent annually is growing with the addition of 25 training slots in Kalamazoo for the 2018-19 school year.
The apprenticeships — in mechatronics, CNC and machine shop or machine tooling — are part of a 5-year-old advanced manufacturing training partnership among employers, community colleges and the Michigan Talent Investment Agency (TIA) called the Michigan Advanced Technician Training (MAT2) program.
Recently, the MAT2 program was touted by the Michigan Apprenticeship Experience Sooner marketing campaign, which is aligned with Gov. Rick Snyder’s Marshall Plan for Talent and seeks to educate the public about the value of apprenticeships and connect students with opportunities in high-demand fields.
At a news conference last month, numerous collaborators from the public and private sectors gathered at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Advanced Technology Center to talk about the campaign and announce KVCC is the next education partner for the MAT2 apprenticeship program.
KVCC is the first West Michigan college to join the initiative.
On the employer side, Goshen, Indiana-based Lippert Components and Paderborn, Germany-based Benteler Automotive — both of which have Michigan plants — will offer six and 19 apprenticeship opportunities, respectively, to students in 2018-19 as part of MAT2.
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