Ten Industrial Maintenance Electrician apprentices will receive their journey-level certificate from the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) on Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at the InTech Center in Fontana. This will be the inaugural graduation for the Inland/Desert Non-Union Unilateral Multiemployer Apprenticeship (IDNUMA) program.
The graduates, all California Steel Industries, Inc. employees, participated in an intensive two-year apprenticeship program, where they completed 400 hours of instruction at Chaffey College InTech Center and a minimum of 2,400 hours of on-the-job training.
This program is unique to the Inland Empire and the state of California – not only is it in a non-traditional industry of advanced manufacturing, but it is also performance-based, meaning that apprentices must complete a combination of on-the-job hours, as well as demonstrate competency tasks in order to gain wage increases and achieve journey-level status.
“Non-traditional registered apprenticeship is an excellent work-based learning model to meet the high demand for a skilled workforce,” said Sandra Sisco, Chaffey College Director of Economic Development and the InTech Center and Secretary of IDNUMA. “We are fortunate to partner with employers in the region who recognize this pathway as a viable option for increased production and economic prosperity.”
These graduates earned around $43K-$58K while in the apprenticeship program, and now upon completion, their average journey-level salary will begin around $75,900. “I didn’t grow up with the skills I’ve learned…at the InTech Center and California Steel,” said Erick Martinez, an apprentice scheduled to receive his certificate at the event. “There’s tremendous value at the end of [training]. You’re investing, you’re sacrificing, but it’s all worth it.”
Since launching the apprenticeship program in July 2018, IDNUMA and InTech have registered 54 apprentices and 20 employers. For more information, visit www.intechcenter.org/apprenticegraduation.
Comments are closed.