Onondaga Community College and Madison County manufacturers are teaming up to offer paid training for skill trades.
The new pilot program, Apprenticeship Accelerator Career Training, is replicated after one that’s been offered in Vermont for the last 20 years to help fill the skilled workforce gap plaguing manufacturing.
The application and interview process will happen in August and narrow down the training to 10 people.
“We had commitments for 19, so you know the need is there,” said Martha Ponge, Director of Apprenticeship at Manufacturers Association of Central New York. “Our capacity is at 10, We would have loved to train 19.”
“Hopefully we’ll have room for the other 10 going forward, but that speaks to the needs,” added Ponge.
Paid training begins in September and concludes in November. Successful candidates will begin full-time employment after Thanksgiving.
During the nine weeks of training, from September through November, students will be paid $10 an hour for 40 hours a week. As they complete the training they will be earning $13 per hour.
Successfully completing the program will allow them to continue in a four-year-long apprenticeship with built-in wage progressions.
Training will include a majority of four-year required technical instruction for machinists, tool makers and maintenance mechanics.
There is no fee to participate but transportation will not be provided to the training.
Training will take place in a “Mobile Learning Lab” which will be parked at the Madison County Career Center, 133 North Court Street in Wampsville.
Manufacturers participating in the program include Knowles Capacitors, Canastota N/C Corp., Consolidated Precision Products, Manth Brownell and All Seasonings.
Madison County is home to 58 manufacturing establishments & employs nearly 3,000 people, making up four percent of all business in Madison County and 15 percent of its annual payroll.
Anyone interested can apply for the program by clicking here.
