Metro Detroit manufacturers can apply for new apprenticeship training grants that support hiring students, closing skills gap

Jan. 26 webinar will explain how funding is available to employers willing to join Michigan Advanced Technician Training apprentice program

LANSING, Mich. - Metro Detroit manufacturers can benefit from a new grant program designed to reduce training costs and increase the number of apprentices in the Michigan Advanced Technician Training program.

The Michigan Talent Investment Agency is hosting a webinar at 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, to explain the benefits of the program.

“Michigan employers have the opportunity to invest in the next generation of skilled technicians by offering training designed to meet their company’s unique needs,” TIA Director Wanda M. Stokes said.

“The cutting-edge MAT2 apprenticeship program has a proven track record of success, including providing a wide array of employer benefits such as increased productivity and knowledge transfer, a skilled talent pipeline and enhanced retention.”

The MAT2 Employer Training Grants are $5,000 per student and are for employers who have students enrolled at a MAT2 college, which in southeast Michigan are Oakland Community College and Henry Ford College. Employers must also register their student with the U.S. Department of Labor.

MAT2 is the state’s effort to address Michigan’s skills gaps in manufacturing by partnering with community colleges and local employers to offer free student apprenticeships.

MAT2 helps students avoid debt by earning tuition-free associate degrees while simultaneously getting paid to gain on-the-job experience in high-paying, high-demand advanced manufacturing careers.

Employers have said recruiting young people into the trades and training them in their company’s way of operating is a key value of the MAT2 program. There are now 122 MAT2 students and 44 companies across Michigan.

To make the MAT2 grant application process easier, business services staff with local Michigan Works! agencies partner with employers and will submit grant applications to the TIA on their behalf. Applications for MAT2 Employer Training Grants may be submitted through Sept. 30, 2017.
 
Eligible companies that team with their local Michigan Works! agency will need to submit a copy of their MAT2 Employer Training Plan, proof of tuition payment and a copy of their firm’s USDOL Certification Letter. The grant is a one-time award of $5,000 per student.
 
TIA’s Jan. 26 webinar will focus on the excellent return on investment that MAT2 delivers as an industry-developed, dual-education training program.

The goal is to enlist more metro Detroit businesses into the program and recruit more students who recognize the importance of apprenticeships as the way to transfer knowledge and skills from retiring workers to new workers.

Keynote speakers in the Jan. 26 webinar include:

• Harold Snyder, test lab supervisor at FTE Automotive USA Inc., who will explain how FTE has successfully applied for MAT2 Employer Training Grants and how FTE is closing the skills gap with MAT2 apprentices.
• Jennifer Llewellyn, Oakland County Michigan Works! director, who will discuss the importance of workforce development and apprenticeships in the metro Detroit region.
• Denise Van Hee, Oakland County Michigan Works! business services manager, who will guide prospective employers on how best to utilize the MAT2 Employer Training Grants.

To register for the webinar and learn more about the MAT2 Employer Training Grants email wda-mat2@michigan.gov.