European Style Apprentice Program Succeeds in the USA
Blum Inc., an Austrian based company with production facilities in North Carolina, in conjunction with Switzerland based Daetwyler Corporation, founded a European style apprentice program in 1995. The program includes a partnership with Central Piedmont Community College, the North Carolina Department of Labor and local public school districts. Today this program includes eight partner companies and 27 local school districts from which the program actively recruits candidates.
This program requires a significant commitment from the partner companies. Blum estimates the current cost of their program is $160,000 per apprentice for the four year program. After 17 years they remain convinced of the value of that investment to assure the future growth of their business.
The program is four years in length totaling 8,000 hours, 1600 of which are at Central Piedmont College and 6400 in the apprentice center at Blum. At the conclusion of the program every successful graduate receives an AAS degree from Central Piedmont, a Journeyman’s certificate from the North Carolina Department of Labor and a guarantee of a full time job at a competitive salary—with no contract.
Adding to the benefit for the participants, they are paid during their four year training and graduate with no student loans.
While it might seem risky to invest $160,000 in someone’s education with no obligations to remain with Blum, they have experienced a retention rate of 80% of the program’s graduates.
There are some key elements that help make this program successful that are not outwardly apparent. First is the “sales” effort that the participating companies put into attracting candidates. These companies sell the program to the public schools by working with school counselors, they sell themselves to the parents and they sell themselves to the candidates. They do this via a structured plan. They work directly with the schools to provide information; they speak to potential candidates and invite both the candidates and their parents into their facilities and apprentice centers. Additionally, prospective candidates are invited to enter the program on a trial basis in their senior year and equally divide their time between their high school classes and working in the company.
The companies also work closely with Central Piedmont College and meet quarterly to assure the curriculum remains relevant and to assure common policies are maintained.
Blum saw a potential road block that could limit their growth potential and rather than accept that as being out of their control they proactively took action to assure their own future. As increasing numbers of foreign companies pursue manufacturing in the US more similar programs are being established.
There are choices to be made: we can choose to wring our hands and complain about the lack of skilled workers and the bleak future manufacturing has, or we can choose to take charge of our own future and get involved in changing the status quo.
These companies did not wait and hope someone else would fix their problem. What are you going to do?