State Fair Community College recognized students and companies participating in apprenticeship programs in celebration of National Apprenticeship Week that was observed Nov. 12-18. For more than 75 years, registered apprenticeships have allowed people to learn and earn their way to a successful career and provided employers a skilled, qualified and stable workforce.
National Apprenticeship Week is a celebration that offers students, education leaders and businesses a chance to demonstrate their support for apprenticeship. The weeklong event highlights the benefits of apprenticeship in preparing a highly skilled workforce to meet the needs of employers across varied industries.
People in apprenticeship programs have access to classroom and lab experiences with qualified SFCC faculty while working with a dedicated workplace mentor. The employer hires the apprentice, pays wages and benefits and pays for their education. Participants who complete the program earn nationally recognized credentials that certifies occupational proficiency and is transferable.
SFCC recognized apprenticeship students with goody bags during their classroom sessions on the Sedalia campus – Terry Wohlgemuth, Adolfo Suarez and Jerry Ronsley all of Marshall are apprentices at ConAgra. Apprentices at Stanley Black & Decker are Kevin Miller of Sedalia, Joshua Shute of Windsor, Ryan Armenta of Sedalia, Brandon Bartlett of Lincoln, and Jeremiah Brown of Marshall. Patrick Ekstrom and Anthony Jacobs both of Sedalia are apprentices at WireCo.
SFCC’s registered apprenticeship program offers employers a low-risk hiring plan that builds employee loyalty and allows for the transfer of job knowledge from experienced, retiring employees to new co-workers. The United States Department of Labor reports that employers using an apprenticeship program achieve higher productivity and employee retention and a substantial return on investment.
People who want to become apprentices and employers who want to work with SFCC to offer apprenticeships can go to www.sfccmo.edu/apprenticeships to apply or contact Lori Blalock, Apprenticeships director, at (660) 596-7135 or apprenticeships@sfccmo.edu. Spring semester begins Jan. 14.
