Mohawk to add 50 registered apprentices
Mohawk Industries’ nationally recognized apprenticeship program has received 50 scholarships from the Technical College System of Georgia and the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship, which will help the company expand its program by providing financial assistance to Georgia participants.
Mohawk, the world’s largest flooring manufacturer, already employs 16 full-time apprentices and three pre-apprentices in the state. Mohawk operates manufacturing facilities in Baldwin, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Murray, Tift and Whitfield counties.
“We are so excited about expanding Mohawk’s apprenticeship program to 50 new participants through these grants,” Director of Technical Training Linda McEntire said. “First and foremost, this program benefits employees by providing fully-funded growth opportunities for significant career development. Apprenticeships also benefit the company by helping us retain and develop talented employees by filling positions internally that require a broad range of engineering skills to meet the demands of our leadingedge, evolving industry. And lastly, it benefits our local economy here in Georgia by creating high wage, high skill jobs for people who already live and work in the state.”
The company’s apprenticeship program combines work experience and classroom education as part of ongoing mechatronics training that develops mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, control and computer engineering skills. At the end of the program, which can be completed in four years or less depending on entry-level skills, participants have the option of receiving their apprenticeship certification or completing additional coursework to receive their associate degree in mechatronics.
“I would definitely encourage others to take advantage of this opportunity,” Mohawk Apprentice David Salazar said. “They can come try [the job] and see if they like it, and get paid for doing it. There’s so much room for growth and having a full-time job that’s actually a career will make any person feel confident and like they’re on the right track.”
The grants are made available through a partnership between Mohawk, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and Georgia’s American Apprenticeship Initiative Grant. These scholarships will provide assis- tance with tuition, fees and supplies for each of the 50 new apprentices, who must both work at Mohawk and attend school in the state of Georgia. Maintenance engineers, mechanics and electricians are highly sought after in the flooring industry, and this program helps Georgia residents meet that need in the workforce.