Students often think that a successful career requires a four-year degree, but competitive training programs are starting to change that perception in Michigan.
Programs like Michigan Advanced Technician Training (MAT 2) offer students paid, on-the-job training while immersing them in the skilled trades in class. In addition to the invaluable experience, students gain the opportunity to work with organizations across the state, many of which are seeking future employees.
Since 2013, more than 1,000 students have applied to be part of MAT2, allowing participating companies to benefit from working with and training Michigan’s future workforce.
Rebekka Neumann, a current MAT2 student in the Mechatronics cohort at Henry Ford Community College, appreciates that the program doesn’t focus on the traditional type of learning and that the lessons she learns apply directly to her job.
“You’re doing a lot of the work you’d be doing at the workplace,” said Neumann “You’re learning with hands on experience, instead of just books.”
As the need for talent in Michigan’s skilled trades grows, so does the opportunity for students to take part in these programs.
Within the year, MAT2’s specialized programs will open in Baker College – Cadillac, Lansing Community College, Mott Community College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Henry Ford College and Delta College.
While not everything can be taught in MAT2’s classrooms, the hands-on experience that students receive at their jobs creates an engaging and realistic dual education system that produces optimal training for future careers.
“There are things that you can’t learn at the MAT2 program, but the job training supplements that,” Neumann said.
Similar to a four-year university, MAT2 students have the choice to select the specialized program that will best fit their needs and skills sets. Under the MAT2 umbrella, programs dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) allow students a broad range of training choices.
Mechatronics, IT Technician, Technical Product Design (TPD) and Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) are programs continuing to expand to Michigan’s community colleges and technical schools, bringing more notice to a program unlike any of its kind.
These programs fit the MAT2 model of a work/education blend while putting focus on each trade’s specific training needs.
One field that has gained interested is information technology (IT).
Secure-24 , a premier provider of managed IT operations, is one Michigan-based business that serves as a sponsor of the MAT2 program, and currently has four students working at their Southfield location.
Matt Goodrich, a special projects manager for the IOC at Secure-24 and MAT2 program chair, sees the program as a winning combination for the students, companies and industry as a whole.
“MAT2 is unique in the fact that it’s shifting the paradigm of the way organizations find employees and help them grow,” Goodrich said. “This new approach is changing how we develop the future workforce.”
With the skills and experience gained right out of high school, students engaging in IT and other STEM positions are creating pathways to lasting careers while filling the talent gap in Michigan.
“Programs like MAT2 are the future of education and industry,” Goodrich continued. “It’s rare to see a program that offers benefits in so many diverse ways, which is why MAT2 is finding success early on.”
While there are clear benefits to earning a four-year degree, there are also emerging opportunities in specialized training programs yielding careers in growing industries.
For Rebekka and other MAT 2 students, the combination of education and real-world experience is helping them stand out to future employers while gaining personal and professional growth.
Pure Michigan Talent Connect is inviting Michigan employers to participate in the Fall 2015 program. For more information and to learn about the many employer benefits, visit http://www.mitalent.org/mat2-employer-information/.
