In the early 1940’s, a number of training people attended meetings of the ASME Educational Committee in New York . By letter and personal contact these men expressed dissatisfaction with the general content and approach to training and especially the treatment of Apprenticeship training. They asked each other this question: Why can’t we draw a few training people from the metal-working industries together several times a year and swap ideas on apprentice training? Principal motivators of this movement were members of the AMSE Educational Committee: Ed Goss of Brown & Sharpe, Arthur C. Harper of Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Leonard J. Fletcher of Caterpillar Tractor Company, G. Guy Via of Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, and subsequently others now listed as charter members of the AART.
From the beginning in 1943, a new type of meeting was generated. No formal organization–no speeches–no dues. Its purpose was to swap ideas and exchange experiences which resulted in fostering more effective training techniques and to aid in the solution of difficult training problems.
The AART was on its way………
Today, even though the organization now collects dues to help defray the cost of the annual meeting, the focus of the AART still remains the sharing of best practices and the improvement of knowledge transfer within organizations. During our annual meeting we hold discussions on topics of interest to the membership, we share ideas and experiences, we visit companies to learn and see how they are training their people, and we hear from leading experts on training theory and research.
We are a 501 (c)(6) organization with a Constitution and Bylaws incorporated under the laws of the state of Pennsylvania. The membership elects an Executive Committee every two years to provide organizational guidance but all decisions are made by majority vote of the membership.