Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA)

What Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA) does

The Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA), Inc. is a 501(c)(4) non-profit professional association founded in 1965-1966 and headquartered virtually in Marlborough, Massachusetts. MAVA represents 71-73 member schools statewide, including regional vocational technical high schools, agricultural schools, charter schools, and comprehensive high schools offering Chapter 74 vocational-technical programs serving over 56,000 students. The organization's mission is to advocate for high-quality vocational-technical and agricultural education, provide professional development for administrators and educators, and elevate recognition of CTE pathways in Massachusetts.

MAVA operates a portfolio of interconnected programs: the Extended Campus Program (graduate/undergraduate courses via partnerships with Fitchburg State University and Westfield State University), Leadership Academy I & II (administrator training), the annual Connecting for Success Conference (400+ attendees, 35+ exhibitors), the Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Awards (40th annual ceremony co-sponsored with MassCTE), the Hot Work Certification Program (State Fire Marshall-approved), OSHA Training, VTEL Prep Course, and a Master of Education pathway. The organization employs approximately 15 staff and contractors coordinated by Executive Director Steven C. Sharek.

The business model relies on institutional membership dues from schools, conference registration and sponsorship fees, tuition pass-throughs from university partners for academic credit courses, certification fees ($10/student for members, $20 for non-members), and OSHA course fees. Distribution is primarily direct-to-institution through the member school network, with services delivered at host school facilities and through partner universities. MAVA holds no proprietary technology products and operates with minimal digital infrastructure (SharePoint portal, PayPal registration, standard social media presence).

Name

Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA)

Legal name

Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators, Inc.

Website

https://mava.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MAVA is a 501(c)(4) non-profit professional association serving 71-73 member vocational-technical and agricultural schools in Massachusetts, providing advocacy, professional development, and student recognition programs for over 56,000 Chapter 74 students statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Marlborough

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership Dues: Schools pay membership dues to join MAVA. Member schools receive discounted rates for programs like Hot Work Certification ($10/student vs $20 for non-members) and access to professional development programs.
2. Extended Campus Tuition and Course Fees: MAVA's Extended Campus Program generates revenue through student tuition for graduate and undergraduate credit courses. The program includes discounted tuition rates for educators whose schools have invested in a MAVA Cohort. Courses are offered in partnership with Fitchburg State University and Westfield State University.
3. Hot Work Certification Program Fees: Revenue from certification fees: $10 per student for paid MAVA institutional members, $20 per student for non-members. School Purchase Orders accepted.
4. OSHA Training Courses: OSHA standards courses offered for academic credit through Fitchburg State University. Teachers can register with or without academic credit, generating tuition revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

MAVA is a professional association of educational leaders that administers and advocates for high-quality vocational-technical and agricultural education in Massachusetts on behalf of 71+ member schools. It delivers professional development programs (Extended Campus graduate/undergraduate courses, Leadership Academy, OSHA and Hot Work certification, VTEL Prep), an annual Connecting for Success Conference, and the Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Awards ceremony, while providing legislative advocacy and DESE-coordinated licensure support.

Product overview

MAVA is a professional association serving as a collective voice and support organization for administrators of vocational technical and agricultural education in Massachusetts. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including the Extended Campus Program (offering graduate-level educator courses via university partnerships), Leadership Academy I & II (administrative training), annual Connecting for Success Conference (professional development), Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Awards (student recognition), Hot Work Certification Program and OSHA Training (safety credentials), VTEL Prep Course (teacher licensure exam preparation), and a Master of Education degree pathway. A member portal and job board provide additional administrative support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connecting for Success Conference: Premier professional development conference for vocational, technical, and agricultural educators in Massachusetts, hosted annually by MAVA
• Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Awards
• Leadership Academy I & II
• Extended Campus Program
• Safety & OSHA Training
• Hot Work Certification Program

Products and services

• Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Awards Annual awards ceremony recognizing exceptional students enrolled in Chapter 74 vocational-technical programs across Massachusetts, co-sponsored with MassCTE and held at Mechanics Hall, Worcester.
• Connecting for Success Conference Premier annual professional development conference for vocational-technical and agricultural educators in Massachusetts, featuring sponsors, exhibitors, keynote speakers, and multi-track sessions attracting 400+ attendees.
• Extended Campus Program Educational cohort program offering undergraduate and graduate credit courses for vocational-technical educators through partnerships with Fitchburg State University and Westfield State University, covering topics such as VTE teaching, research-based practices, standards-based curriculum, and sheltered English immersion.
• Leadership Academy I Intensive leadership preparation course for vocational-technical school administrators and designees, covering instructional leadership, management, family engagement, and professional culture.
• Hot Work Certification Program State Fire Marshall-approved hot work safety certification program for students in Massachusetts vocational-technical education, available online or face-to-face.
• Safety & OSHA Training Credentialed OSHA standards courses for General Industry and Construction, including Outreach Trainer courses and prerequisites, delivered for academic credit through Fitchburg State University.
• VTEL Prep Course In-person preparation course for the Vocational Technical Teacher Literacy Test (VTEL), covering test phobia, writing conventions, and exam readiness for prospective vocational-technical teachers seeking DESE licensure.
• Master of Education Program Non-licensure graduate degree program in Pedagogy and Learning designed to enhance teaching skills, with flexibility to accumulate credits toward DESE licensure.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55,728 students enrolled in Chapter 74 programs across Massachusetts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fitchburg State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary university partner for MAVA's Extended Campus Program offering undergraduate and graduate credit courses for vocational educators. Courses include Seminar for Beginning VTE Teacher, Using Research-Based Practices, Educating and Assessing VTE Learner, Standards-Based Curriculum, Addressing Needs of Students with Disabilities, Sheltered English Immersion, and Master's Capstone.
• Westfield State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for Extended Campus Program offering online synchronous courses for vocational educators including Seminar for Beginning VTE Teacher and Addressing Needs of Students with Disabilities.
• Massachusetts Career and Technical Educators Organization (MassCTE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the Annual Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Awards Ceremony and collaborative partner on advocacy and professional development initiatives for CTE in Massachusetts.
• Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAVA builds partnerships with DESE for Chapter 74 program approval, vocational licensure processes, and regulatory compliance. DESE conducts study sessions on voc-tech admissions policies.
• Assabet Valley Regional Technical High SchoolcoreOthersHost venue for the annual Connecting for Success Conference (2025-2026). The school provides facilities for the premier professional development event for vocational, technical, and agricultural educators in Massachusetts.
• Various 2026 Conference SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSix sponsor levels for Connecting for Success 2026 conference (logos displayed on conference materials). Includes sponsors for Universal Screening and other categories.
• Various 2026 Conference ExhibitorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 35 exhibitors including AET Labs, Bio-Rad Laboratories, BioBuilder Educational Foundation, Career Safe Online, Edmentum, Fitchburg State University, Johnson & Wales University, Mass Save Green STEP, OSHA, Pearson, Savvas Learning Company, and others.
• Quincy High School Film and Television Production ProgramminorOthersProduced the 40th Annual Outstanding Vocational Technical Student Awards Ceremony highlight video for MAVA and MassCTE.
• Worcester Regional Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization advocating for vocational education; President Timothy Murray serves as keynote speaker at OVS Awards and chair of Alliance for Vocational/Technical Education.
• Alliance for Vocational/Technical EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTimothy Murray, former Lieutenant Governor, serves as chair. Alliance studies show 90% of Massachusetts employers want more Chapter 74 program graduates.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE): National professional association for CTE educators and administrators; provides the larger umbrella framework within which state-level bodies like MAVA operate, and is directly comparable in mission (advocacy, PD, awards) at a national scale.
• National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc): National organization of state CTE directors that drives federal CTE policy and Chapter-equivalent frameworks; MAVA interfaces with it through DESE and shares the same mission of strengthening state-level vocational education infrastructure.

Direct peers

• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle-school, high-school, and college students preparing for skilled trades and CTE careers; comparable in student-recognition mission (awards, contests) and overlaps with MAVA's Outstanding Vocational Student Awards programming.
• Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS): Massachusetts professional association for school superintendents; MAVA's officer base overlaps with this group's membership (district superintendents), and it operates with a similar advocacy-and-PD model for school leaders in the same state.
• Massachusetts Secondary School Administrators' Association (MSSAA): Massachusetts association for secondary school administrators covering athletics, activities, and leadership; comparable as a statewide professional membership body for school leaders with parallel PD, awards, and advocacy functions.
• Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC): Massachusetts association representing elected school committee members; operates with the same statewide professional-association model (advocacy, PD, legislative engagement) that MAVA uses for vocational administrators.
• Massachusetts Career and Technical Educators Organization (MassCTE): Massachusetts-based professional association for CTE educators; directly collaborates with MAVA on the Outstanding Vocational Student Awards and shares overlapping membership and advocacy agenda across the same Chapter 74 programs.

Others

• Commonwealth Beacon: Massachusetts policy publication in which MAVA leadership places op-eds on vocational education; thematically related as an amplification channel for MAVA's advocacy, though not a direct peer in service delivery.
• Fitchburg State University - Graduate and Professional Studies: Public university partner that delivers MAVA's Extended Campus courses; comparable as a regional educator-training provider and a channel through which MAVA's professional development offerings reach teachers.

Regional players

• New York Association of Vocational Educators / NY CTE organizations: State-level CTE administrator and educator associations in peer Northeast states; comparable in structure and mission to MAVA but serving New York rather than Massachusetts, illustrating the regional peer set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mavamassedu
• Facebookfacebook.com/MAVAMassEdu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mava-ma
• Instagraminstagram.com/mavamassedu
• TikToktiktok.com/@mavamassedu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators (MAVA)