IMEC is committed to helping companies provide structured training to their employees through registered apprenticeship programs. As of last month, IMEC has been approved to sponsor 13 registered apprenticeship programs validated by the U.S. Department of Labor.  

The Role of Apprenticeships in Manufacturing 
Apprenticeships are an important part of many companies’ training landscapes. Improving recruitment, developing a highly skilled workforce that leads to improved productivity, reducing turnover costs, and improving employee retention are all benefits of a strong training program that includes apprenticeships. 

We can hire some employees with credentials in hand. You hire engineers with an engineering degree or an accountant with an accounting degree. The degrees these employees hold give you the evidence that these people have followed a specific training protocol and have achieved a certain level of proficiency. Unfortunately, not all people are ready or able to pursue a degree or formal education program. Many of these people are on your shop floor or in your office. However, just because they don’t have a degree doesn’t mean they don’t want a career with your company. By providing an opportunity for everyone in your company to build a career, you are addressing some of the inequity which resides in the workplace, while improving engagement and retention of your valued employees.

Local and regional colleges are terrific places for recruiting entry-level talent. Here are nine tips for getting the most out of your college recruitment program.

1. Work on Recruitment All Year
College students begin looking for internships and jobs long before they graduate. Therefore, it’s important to form strong relationships year-round through a variety of tactics.

Are you struggling to find an adequate amount of young job applicants? One smart, pivotal move you can make right now is to ramp up recruitment of high-school students. By focusing on current students as well as recent graduates, you can ensure you have a strong pipeline of workers to sustain your manufacturing business. Here are nine ideas to help you get started:

This is an original article from JFF’s Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning.

What Is Work-Based Learning?

Work-based learning refers to meaningful training that takes place at work, usually under the direction of employer coaches and managers, and has been shown to produce high value for both companies and workers.

Written by: Virginia Rounds, Director of the ICATT Apprenticeship Program

The price of vacancy in the high-tech manufacturing industry is staggering, and while companies recognize this is a problem, the true cost has become such a part of the status quo that it is often overlooked.