Newly Certified Pre-Apprentice Training Free For 18-24 Year Olds

Free training for young people ages 18-24 offered by Bucks County Community College in newly certified pre-apprenticeship training through State PASmart Grant.

Bucks County Community College’s Center for Workforce Developed (CWD) announced today that their Metalwork and Industrial Maintenance Training Programs have been formally recognized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Labor and Industry as meeting pre-apprenticeship standards. Establishing the programs as pre-apprenticeships will provide graduates of the Industrial Skills Training Programs a direct career path to apprenticeship opportunities.

Earlier this year, Bucks County Community College was awarded the PASmart Grant through the Governor’s Office. Using this grant funding, Bucks is delighted to announce that it will be expanding its Industrial Maintenance Pre-Apprenticeship Program and running a pilot program starting in February 2020 to reach high school students and young adults, ages 18-24. The course will be modified to take place over 16 weeks from 1:00pm – 5:00pm to accommodate students’ schedules during their senior year. Students will gain first-hand experience of local companies through job shadowing and company tours, and are eligible to earn a stipend based on attendance to help off-set expenses. Bucks is excited to be offering pre-apprenticeship programs to high school students and young adults looking to start a great career with good pay, benefits and long-term career prospects. Enrolling in these programs will afford students the opportunity as well as an advantage in having access to full-time apprenticeship programs and high-paying careers upon graduation.

I completed the very first cohort of the Industrial Maintenance Program in 2016. I now have a rewarding, high-paying career that I take pride in. I was able to make $18/hr with no experience and no debt from a college degree. I never would have achieved this opportunity without Bucks County Community College.
James W., IM Student

Those interested in learning more about the training program or enrolling should attend an information session. The information sessions are held:
• December 3, 1-3pm; Bucks Public Safety Center, 1760 South Easton Road, Doylestown
• December 3, 5-7pm; Upper Bucks Campus, 1 Hillendale Road, Perkasie
• January 9, 5-7pm; Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks, 1304 Veterans Highway, Bristol
• January 16, 1-3pm; Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks, 1304 Veterans Highway, Bristol

The Industrial Maintenance Training Program was created in 2016 in response to the success of Bucks’ Metalwork Program (established in 2014) and employers’ needs for a skilled workforce. The goal of both pre-apprenticeship programs is to upskill and retrain unemployed and underemployed individuals and help them learn new skills to fill the ever-growing gap for well-trained entry-level employees for manufacturing jobs. Both programs have been very successful and continually boast a 92% placement rate for all graduates.

We have been fortunate to partner with Bucks on their Industrial Maintenance and Metalwork Programs over the past few years. We have not only worked with them on building the curriculum for the Programs but, as a business owner, I also have hired multiple students. Formally registering Bucks' Programs as recognized pre-apprenticeships will help to grow the pool of apprentices and the overall number of employers offering apprenticeships to their employees.
John Shegda, President of M&S Centerless Grinding and Meron Medical.

Through Bucks’ Industrial Skills trainings, the College has graduated more than 280 successful completers, with an average starting rate of between $15 - $20/hour. This high success rate is due to the College’s ongoing dedication of excellent industry experts as instructors, embedded employability skills training, the efforts of a dedicated job developer and career coach as well as partnerships with employers, the PA Department of Labor, the Bucks County Workforce Development Board and the County of Bucks.

The Metalwork and Industrial Maintenance Pre-Apprenticeship Programs run continually every 13 weeks, on average. Both Pre-Apprenticeship Programs require classroom and hands-on shop instruction delivered over 12 weeks per cohort, for a total of 288 hours plus company field trips and job shadowing. Trainings take place throughout the County in Bristol, Doylestown and Perkasie, PA.

For more information on Bucks’ programs and training opportunities, please contact Julie Rita-Di Pietro, Director, Center for Workforce Development at 215-968-8495 or Julie.Rita-DiPietro@bucks.edu.

https://www.bucks.edu/industrialmanufacturing/maint/

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