The Michigan Educators Apprenticeship and Training Association (MEATA) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing a forum for the professional development of Secondary and Post-Secondary Educators and other individuals involved in providing apprenticeship-related technical instruction and work-based education. Each year, MEATA hosts a Spring Conference bringing together employers, educators and workforce professionals engaged in the world of apprenticeship.
The theme for MEATA’s 2018 Spring Conference, which will take place in Traverse City May 22-25, is Apprenticeship 2020: Focus on the Future. The conference will expose participants to a wide array of exciting innovations in apprenticeship and will be host to the very first Apprenticeship in a Day workshop, during which MEATA will take a select group of employers through the entire apprenticeship development and registration process in just a few hours.
The process of developing a brand-new apprenticeship program and registering it with the DOL can sometimes be cumbersome and take significant time to complete. This is often a result of the various day-to-day activities that sometimes push lower-priority projects to the back-burner. The Apprenticeship in a Day workshop provides employers with the first ever opportunity to develop and register a registered apprenticeship program in a single day: saving time and energy. MEATA and its partners within the DOL Office of Apprenticeship intend to register 20-30 new apprenticeship programs during this event.
The Apprenticeship in a Day event will take place May 24 and will allow employers to work directly with their community college partners to identify the required education and training that each apprentice must undergo and will work with DOL Apprenticeship and Training Representatives (ATRs) to develop apprentices’ customized on-the-job learning plan. Michigan Works! staff will also be on-hand to provide information about possible funding streams that are available to offset the cost to employers implementing apprenticeship programs.
All workforce development professionals, educators and any other interested partners can register for the MEATA Spring Conference at www.meata.org. Employers interested in attending the MEATA Spring Conference to create an apprenticeship in a day are eligible for a waived registration fee and should contact Janene Erne at janene.erne@winintelligence.org.
MEATA has arranged for a special rate of just $119.95 per night at the West Bay Beach Resort in Traverse City. To take advantage of this discount, attendees must make their reservations by April 21, 2018 by calling 231-947-3700 and requesting the MEATA group discount. Discounted rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.