Foundation forms work partners for apprentices

Auburn, Lakeland, Mentor Schools, others partner on initiative

The Alliance for Working Together Foundation formed partnerships among schools, manufacturing.

The Alliance for Working Together Foundation has announced the beginning of the AWT Apprenticeship Program.

It is a collaborative effort of the AWT Foundation, Lakeland Community College, Mentor Public Schools, Lake Shore Compact, and Auburn Career Center aimed at strengthening the manufacturing workforce through apprenticeship training.

The AWT apprenticeship seeks to offer a reliable pipeline of skilled workers, customized training that meets industry standards, and increased knowledge transfer through on-thejob learning, the release stated.

The AWT Foundation will be offering two programs — the pre-apprenticeship model and the traditional apprenticeship model.

The Pre-Apprenticeship Model will target high school students and will be provided by Mentor Public Schools and Lakeshore Compact. Participating in this program will take a year off of a traditional apprenticeship model and align with apprentice training in Northeast Ohio.

The traditional AWT Apprenticeship Model will target adults and incumbent workers. The AWT apprenticeship program is a blended educational model with online and in-person, expert training.

In the apprenticeship program, there will be 21 online courses for technical-related training, the online format allows students to work at their own pace. Apprentices will also receive in-person instruction by an AWT instructor/industry expert.

AWT offers four different apprenticeship occupations — precision machinist, tool programmer/ numerical control, tool & die maker, and mold maker.

The cost of enrollment in the AWT Apprenticeship program is $2,000 per employee per year and through the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation’s TechCred Program, employers who submit successful TechCred applications will be reimbursed up to $2,000 per credential when current or prospective employees complete their training.

“I am extremely proud of the AWT Foundation members and our community—we have come together to create one of the most innovative apprenticeship models in Northeast Ohio,” AWT Foundation Executive Director Juliana Petti said in the release.

“This program is business-driven to ensure that we are meeting business workforce needs and equipping our apprentices to be leaders in the manufacturing industry.

“I hope this collaborative effort between businesses, higher education institutions, K-12 education providers, career and technical education centers, and non-profits demonstrates the power of community-led initiatives.”

Joe Glavan, CTE coordinator for Mentor Schools, discussed the impact on students in high school.

“The creation of pre-apprenticeship program is another excellent way to ensure our students are being trained with skills today for the jobs of tomorrow,” Glavan said in the release. “Students who meet our Pre-Apprenticeship Program requirements will earn a state of Ohio Apprenticeship Council Recognized PreApprenticeship Program Certificate of Completion which is a 12-point valued credential, earn substantial articulated credit towards an apprenticeship, and earn articulated college credit with one of our many college partners which include Lakeland, Tri-C, Kent State University, and Akron University.”

Glavan also said he is looking forward to local collaboration.

“Through alignment of education, business, and government collaborating together, we can strengthen workforce pathways to rewarding careers for community members and ultimately help create a stronger northeast Ohio,” he said.