MEPP and Beyond: Jumpstart Your Journey With Royal
You’ve heard it over and over again… the Coopersville MEPP program is such a great benefit to Coopersville students! Can I tell you it never gets old to say? The opportunities MEPP offers to explore your passion and gain hands-on, real-world experience are not accessible to your peers in other districts. If you have not taken advantage of these opportunities, now is the time!
I want to specifically address those of you who plan to step into your career after high school. These programs are especially beneficial for you to gain experience that will elevate you for the future role you hope to obtain. Companies love prior experience! It allows them to get to know you through time on the job rather than solely your ability to expertly answer interview questions with hypothetical scenarios. At Royal, we’re building a pathway that can further equip you to make that transition from high school to career seamlessly through work-based learning.
In the 2025/2026 school year, we launched Royal’s work-based learning program. This program introduces students to manufacturing and, specifically, injection molding. Students spend half their day on the job at Royal Technologies, earning both school credit and a paycheck. This isn’t just doing your job during school hours and getting paid for it. We want to develop you into a knowledgeable and capable worker and expand your skill set. Better yet, we help you build your professional network and gain invaluable experience.
In Royal’s WBL program, you will learn about lean manufacturing and continuous improvement and become familiar with the different equipment, materials, and processes used to manufacture parts you (maybe unknowingly) use every day. Students spend the year learning multiple roles and add value throughout the process.
Let me back up a moment — parts you use every day? You might be wondering what I’m referring to. When you open your refrigerator to get your breakfast in the morning, did you know that Royal Technologies’ parts are used to construct it? Or when you toss your dishes in the dishwasher? Yup. We’re there too! How about when you get in your car to drive to school? Every time you look in your rearview mirror, we’re with you!
Before I get too long-winded, let me jump back to work-based learning. We’re excited about what we’ve learned in the program this year, and we’re in the process of making it even better! We are currently working to turn the program into a DOL-registered apprenticeship! Not only can you get paid to be at school, but you can begin the pursuit of an apprenticeship certificate before graduation!
We’re hard at work building out the details of the program now. We plan to offer the program for the 2026/2027 school year. If you’d like to know more, please contact us!
Royal Technologies is an advanced manufacturing and engineering company that specializes in injection molding. Headquartered in Hudsonville, MI, Royal is employee-owned, with five production facilities and over 1,200 employees. Living out the values of integrity, stewardship, teamwork, hard work, and excellence, Royal strives to create a culture that employees enjoy being part of.
In fact, the most prevalent response when employees are asked what their favorite thing is about Royal? The PEOPLE! Royal offers tons of opportunities and pathways for growth and development, including the work-based learning program highlighted here. Interested in learning more? Contact us today!
Click Here to learn more about Royal Technologies.
