The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) recently introduced Designship, the first apprenticeship management training program for design graduates in the country.
Designship was created in an effort to fill the void between businesses and designers in regards to management training. For design students this program bridges the gap between education and career advancement. For employers, Designship provides instant access to talented creatives with a built-in professional development program.
The program will help companies retain creative individuals, equip designers for leadership roles in these growing industries and solidify Wisconsin as a hub for design talent.
“We saw a need in our industry to help drive the creative economy,” said Jeffrey Morin, president of MIAD in a press release. “This program builds off of our college’s long-term success of collaborating with businesses in undergraduate mentoring, projects, internships and hiring. The success of this program will improve southeastern Wisconsin's economy and reduce demand for outsourced employment.”
Designship is a one-year program for recent design graduates comprised of a 2,000-hour immersive work experience, online courses on management training and a mentorship program. Because of this customization, the apprentice opportunity is offered in four different fields: Communication/Graphic Design, Interior Architecture and Design, Interaction Design, and Product/Industrial Design.
Milwaukee was ranked the fifth fastest-growing city in the country in 2017. Because of this growth, Designship is a win-win for both designers and growing organizations throughout the Milwaukee-area.
“Technology has removed most barriers in product development to make most ideas possible and come to life,” said Mike Kornacki, UX Excellence Leader at Johnson Controls, Inc in the release. “This reality is moving our world from a technology-based economy to an experience-based economy where user experience is going to be the competitive advantage for any product. Design leadership and design thinking skills are starting to be the critical roles in a lot of different organizations. I am truly excited to see MIAD invest in the growth of design as a practice and offer up a program for designers to take the next logical step in their career.”
Interested businesses and designers can find more information on Designship at http://www.designships.com/ or contact info@designships.com or call 414-847-3219.
