Companies interested in offering apprenticeship programs at their places of business are encouraged to contact their local technical school for further information.
Central Tech’s co-op program, for example, arranges for students to take their required courses in the morning and releases them before 1 p.m. to work in their chosen field of study. The students are required to be employed a minimum of 15 hours per week, which can take place in the afternoon, evenings and/or weekends.
Central Tech students represent 17 different labs, such as business, protective services, electricity, electronics, computer aided drafting, machine technology, information technology, medical assistants, dental assistants, even a two-year welding program. Many of the students in the co-op program are also participants in the Manufacturer & Business Association’s sponsored Your Employability Skills Certificate Program (Y.E.S.™), which is a 120-hour, rigorous certification course designed for high school seniors to acquire the fundamental skills that employers regard as important to a well-trained work force.
“If an employer would be willing to provide the on-the-job training to an eager student,” notes Sandra Burr, Central Tech co-op coordinator, “I would love to discuss the possibilities with them.“
To learn more, email sburr@eriesd.org or contact the technical school in your area.