Michael A. Papalia, State Director

Michael A. Papalia is the Training Director for the State of Ohio and parts of West Virginia.

He oversees four training centers in Ohio, managing a group of 35 instructors and eight administrators who train more than 1,100 apprentices and 15,000 journey-level members annually.

Mr. Papalia is currently involved in the standardization and enhancement of the program’s curriculum, the development of policies and procedures to comprehensively serve the needs of students, and the establishment of financial guidelines to efficiently run the operation.

Since beginning his leadership of the Ohio Apprenticeship Program, he launched a new computer lab, implemented an interactive Web site, initiated an online journeyman upgrade schedule, introduced a peer-mentoring program, and developed a contractor needs programs.

Mr. Papalia believes that the foundation of any successful educational program is the instructional staff. “A good teacher has to have both knowledge and a passion for their craft,” he says. “A good teacher has to be a great communicator and listener, who is both flexible and responsive to the needs of his students. These attributes are expected and displayed by the Ohio teaching staff on a daily basis.”

In addition to the instructional staff, Mr. Papalia says the partnership with community colleges, keeping programs on track with market needs via open communications with industry leaders, and a responsive and responsible board of directors are equally important components to the success of the program.

Mr. Papalia is a member of the Cuyahoga Community College Construction Board, an advisory group that works with Ohio community colleges to combine associate degree programs with apprenticeship programs throughout the state.

A 30-year veteran of the UBC, Mr. Papalia has served as a national representative for its International Health and Safety Fund and as a staff member in its Legislative Department. He also worked as a safety consultant to the steel, mining and construction industries, and is a certified trainer in a number of construction safety programs. Prior to his move into education and administration, Mr. Papalia was a carpenter for 14 years, and completed management courses at Cuyahoga Community College and Baldwin Wallace College.