On October 17, 2017, Chaffey College – Industrial Technical Learning Center (InTech Center) and the Inland/Desert Non-Union Unilateral Multiemployer Apprenticeship Committee were approved by the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) for the occupations of Industrial Maintenance Electrician and Industrial Maintenance Mechanic. The Apprenticeship program was a collaborative effort between industry partners and Chaffey College to provide hands-on, accelerated education to enhance an apprentice’s on-the-job training. Through this experience, an apprentice will be able to achieve journey-level status in four years or less, becoming an expert in their craft.
“The InTech Center at Chaffey College is thrilled to be one of the few community college Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in the state to partner with industry to provide a performance-based apprenticeship program,” said Sandra Sisco, Chaffey College Director of Economic Development and the InTech Center. “The curriculum, combined with on-the-job training, provides a direct response to employers who are experiencing a lack of skilled workers in the Inland Desert region.”
Through the program, apprentices will be required to attend a minimum of 144 classroom hours per year, and a total of 4800-8000 hours of on-the-job training over four years. This Apprenticeship program is unique to many employers because it allows each industry partner to establish performance criteria for every apprentice’s level of advancement. In other words, an apprentice’s wage advancement is dependent on successfully mastering each skill level rather than how many on-the-job hours they worked. As a central location for employers and the DAS, Chaffey College will also house records and be responsible for administrative duties, alleviating employers of these additional tasks.
“There has long been a negative stigma associated with apprenticeships, but this unique process allows an employer to establish when a performance level has been met and provides an added accountability factor to both the company and apprentice,” said Steve Tyrrell, Maintenance Manager of Mitsubishi Cement Corporation and Chairman of the Inland/Desert Non-Union Unilateral Multiemployer Apprenticeship Committee. By engaging in this program, employers can see a reduction in turnover rates, increase in productivity and provide a stable and reliable pipeline of qualified workers.
If you are an employer who is interested in learning more about the Industrial Maintenance Electrician or Industrial Maintenance Mechanic apprenticeship program, please contact Sandra Sisco, Chaffey College Economic Development Director at (909) 652-8484 or sandra.sisco@chaffey.edu or Natalie Weaver, Chaffey College Grant Liaison at (909) 652-8491 or natalie.weaver@chaffey.edu.
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