The Advance Michigan Center for Apprenticeship Innovation (AMCAI) is a $4 million American Apprenticeship Initiative grant recipient tasked with expanding regional apprenticeship through statewide innovation. AMCAI covers 37 counties throughout lower Michigan and promotes the overall goal of expanding and enhancing Department of Labor (DOL) Registered Apprenticeships.
Led by the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA) and Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan, AMCAI is comprised of nine community colleges—Henry Ford College, Jackson College, Lansing Community College, Mid-Michigan Community College, Monroe County Community College, Oakland Community College, Schoolcraft College, and St. Clair County Community College—along with many local and regional corporate and workforce and economic development partners. This partnership of community colleges and other community partners represent AMCAI, which will focus on establishing and expanding apprenticeship programs responsive to the evolving technical needs in high-demand automotive and transportation sectors, along with expanding into non-traditional apprenticeship occupations like in healthcare and information technology. AMCAI will serve 853 individuals, both new and incumbent workers, by October 2020, with 28% of participants being of underrepresented populations.
Drawing from innovation of past and current projects such as the DOL TAACCCCT funded Multi-State Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (M-SAMC) and the Michigan Advanced Technician Training Program (MAT2), AMCAI will continue to expand and enhance workforce education and apprenticeship.
The center has identified the following goals and objectives to attain this overall vision of expanding apprenticeship through regional and statewide innovation
- Regional coordination and partnership with apprenticeship stakeholders
- Agile content: flexible, the accelerated curriculum in high-demand occupational areas
- Responsiveness to supply and demand: up-skill current and future workers to meet demand
- Demonstrable value and clear return on investment for employers
- Improved capacity for flexible apprenticeship models that provide incentives to employers and apprentices to undertake an apprenticeship
- Career pathways, including credentialed training and articulation, to promote apprentice advancement and program completion
- Dissemination and adoption of exemplary practices, including competency-based apprenticeships and apprenticeship intermediaries
- Regional support: technical assistance and administrative coordination
For more information
Visit AMCAI’s apprenticeship website at MIapprenticeship.org.
For more information, please contact the AMCAI Grant Administration:
CONTACT INFO FOR AMCAI PARTNER COLLEGES

Heather Keller
Apprenticeship Coordinator
Henry Ford College
hmkeller@hfcc.edu
313.845.6348

Kathy H. Smith
Interim Trades Technology Services Administrator and Work-Based Learning Coordinator
Lansing Community College
smitk180@lcc.edu
517.483.1548

Chris Stanton
Apprenticeship Coordinator
Mid Michigan Community College
cdstanton@midmich.edu
989.773.6622, ext. 147
Apprenticeship Programming
Monroe County Community College

Amy Burns-Bailey
Business & Technical Programs Coordinator
Northwestern Michigan College
aburns@nmc.edu
231.995.2211

Michael Shea
Training and Development Coordinator
St. Clair County Community College
mshea@sc4.edu
810.989.5825
Check out AMCAI's Michigan apprenticeship website!
MIApprenticeship.org provides resources for employers, those considering apprenticeship, and workforce and education partners involved in developing registered apprenticeship programs.
Visit MIapprenticeship.org
Want to know the ROI of an apprentice?
Check out AMCAI’s ROI calculator to review the ROI of an apprentice for various occupations, or request data for an occupation you are developing an apprenticeship for!
Access the ROI calculator
APPRENTICESHIPS IN THE NEWS
WDIV Live in the D: Michigan Advanced Technician Training Program
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OTHER MICHIGAN AAI GRANTS
Macomb Community College
Warren, MI
Macomb Community College was awarded a $3.9 million grant to fund Michigan Apprenticeship Program Plus (MAP+). The project will target apprenticeship pathways in IT and manufacturing occupations. MAP+ will register a new apprenticeship in Digital Sculpting, an area with growing hiring needs in the auto industry, and will work with Federal Financial Aid and the United Auto Workers to find innovative ways to leverage funding to create more apprenticeship opportunities. The program will serve 600 apprentices, in the two largest metropolitan areas of Michigan. Employer partners include Atlas Tool, Formtech and Autocam Precision Components Group.
Vikki Gordon
Apprenticeship Coordinator
Macomb Community College
(586)-445-7519
Focus: HOPE
Detroit, MI
Focus: HOPE was awarded a $3 million grant to fund the Focus: HOPE American Apprenticeship Program. Focus: HOPE has over three decades experience providing the residents of Detroit with gateway skills to seek better employment. The funds will be utilized to register four new apprenticeship programs, expand three existing programs and promote career pathways through education during apprenticeship. The program will serve 300 apprentices in targeted occupations in the Advanced Manufacturing and IT industries in the State of MI.
Kevin Green
Apprenticeship Manager
Focus:Hope
greenk@focushope.edu
(313)-494-4412
UAW-Labor Employment and Training Corporation
Cerritos, CA
UAW-Labor Employment and Training Corporation was awarded a $5 million grant to fund the UAW American Apprenticeship Initiative Program. The grant will used for the development of new registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs and for modification of existing programs. A number of underserved workers will be assisted, including 500 job seekers and 975 incumbent workers in high skilled occupations within the Advanced Manufacturing Industry.
Bill Peterson
Operations Director
UAW-LETC
wpeterson@uaw.net