With parts in the vehicles of nearly every major automaker, Magna International has quietly shaped the driving experience for millions around the world. For nearly seven decades, the company has built its reputation as one of the largest and most reliable automotive suppliers, with 166,000+ employees powering innovation across 74 locations in the United States—and many more around the globe.
One shining example of the company’s innovation can be found in St. Clair, Michigan, at Magna Electric Vehicle Structures (MEVS). Inside this state-of-the-art, 1.1 million-square-foot facility, employees and robots work in tandem to manufacture complex battery enclosures for electric vehicles like the GMC Hummer EV. The space is bright, clean, and humming with activity — a true glimpse into the future of advanced manufacturing.
But high-tech operations like this don’t run on machines alone. To keep production moving, Magna relies on highly skilled workers — and as the company evolves its operations, finding qualified talent has become an ongoing challenge.
To help meet that challenge, Magna turned to Apprenticeship Works, the National Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Partnership at the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMC). Apprenticeship Works helps manufacturers across the United States establish and maintain U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeships in 17 high-demand occupations.
“Magna Electric Vehicle Structures is a new facility with a large footprint that requires a significant number of resources to support daily operations,” said Tyler Hewlett, assistant maintenance manager at MEVS. “Currently, finding experienced skilled workers that have exposure to Magna operation standards has been a challenge due to the expedited expansion of the building. That is why the apprenticeship program is important to MEVS. We can develop the skilled workforce at the start of their careers that can be passed on to future apprentices as we develop the program.”
Hewlett and other MEVS managers know the value of apprenticeships. Hewlett completed a 4-year industrial maintenance mechanic – millwright apprenticeship with Magna while Plant Manager Greg Ross and Maintenance Manager Jason Thuss completed tool and die apprenticeships.
“The apprenticeship program was a new concept to Magna Electric Vehicle Structures and a lot of the administrative work and program structure was available through Apprenticeship Works, making a smooth transition for the Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program into the division,” Hewlett explained.
Brianne Galac had been with Magna about two years when she was chosen to participate in the industrial maintenance mechanic apprenticeship. Like the other apprentices, Galac praised the company’s commitment and investment in its employees. “I’m really excited to further my education here, where I feel I’ll have the opportunity to grow,” she said.
Lloyd Miller, a tool and die apprentice, expressed his excitement about the prospects of expanding his skills and knowledge. “It’s time to learn something new, to grow. I’ve got a family and I’m going to bring them all into this company.”
The apprenticeship opportunity underscores the company’s commitment to him, explained Latrel Gamez, who had been employed by Magna for about a year when he was chosen for the electrician, maintenance apprenticeship. “Magna believes in me and I believe in Magna. I’m very thankful that I have this apprenticeship opportunity.”
While serving their apprenticeships, Galac, Gamez and Miller also will play an important role in MEVS’s onsite, world-class training center, working together to troubleshoot and tackle challenges as a group, Hewlett said. MEVS created the training center to prepare employees with the technical knowledge required to become successful Magna team members. The goal? A pipeline of highly trained, loyal employees ready to meet the demands of modern manufacturing.
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MAMC’s apprenticeship team is working with three other Magna locations in the U.S. to help them establish DOL-registered apprenticeship programs like the one at MEVS.
“That’s one of the great benefits of our apprenticeship model,” said Heather Cooper, director of MAMC’s Apprenticeship Training Unit. “Companies can scale the apprenticeship program across multiple locations, ensuring consistency while still tailoring the program to specific operations at each site.”
To learn more about MAMC’s national apprenticeship program, visit www.mfg.marshall.edu/apprenticeships or contact Cooper at .
June 23, 2025
