Henry Ford College (HFC) President Dr. Stan Jensen and Detroit-based New Center Stamping (NCS) President/COO Greg Smith will present “Building a Future Workforce with Apprenticeships” at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 15. This event takes place in the Community Room East of the Welcome Center (Building WC) on the main campus.
Jensen and Smith will speak about how apprenticeship programs are closing the skills gap for manufacturing across the region. Founded in 1989, NCS is Detroit’s leading supplier of medium to large-size metal stamping components for the automotive and transportation industries.
HFC and the Michigan Talent Investment Agency (TIA) have partnered to provide a competitive opportunity for students to earn an associate degree in Mechatronics, Information Technology, Technical Product Design (TPD) or CNC through the Michigan Advanced Technician Training (MAT2) program. Currently, MAT2 is accepting applications.
If selected for the MAT2 program, the student’s tuition is paid for by the employer. Students work for their employer, earning money while attending college. Thus, they “earn to learn.”
Successful graduates are also guaranteed employment upon graduation.
Mechatronics is a growing field and focuses on the electrical, mechanical and electronic skills used to identify, analyze and solve manufacturing problems. A mechatronics technician supports engineers by maintaining manufacturing machines and related equipment, including repairing, testing and making minor modifications to them.
In addition, CNC Manufacturing Technicians set up, operate and produce high quality products on computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools. Program participants will be competent in blueprint reading, gauging and inspection, statistical process control, mathematics, safety, and machine tooling.
Sponsoring companies participating in the MAT2 program help train the students and employ them during college and upon graduation. The students navigate the program as a tight-knit unit, attending college and working at the sponsoring companies in recurrent eight-week intervals. Students interested must meet certain academic qualifications and this is a competitive program. Companies will interview and select each student to be sponsored.
Each selected participant is ensured income throughout the program: a weekly stipend to assist with personal expenses while attending classes. When working, the student will earn an hourly wage. As long as the student has met the program requirements, the hourly wage will increase annually at the sponsoring company.
Applicants must be high school graduates at the start of the program. ACT scores can be used to determine if an applicant has the required academic skills to be successful in the program. Once selected by an employer, students are required to take the entrance exam at the college selected by their employer.
MAT2 is a very competitive program and students are encouraged to apply early. The application deadline is June 1. Applications are reviewed and accepted on an ongoing basis through the June 1 deadline. Apply for MAT2 through the TIA at www.mitalent.org/mat2.
This event is free and open to the public. For more information, email WDA-MAT2@michigan.gov or visit www.mitalent.org/mat2.
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