Ten students in Jefferson State’s Welding Technology program officially accepted apprenticeships during a Welding Apprenticeships Signing Day ceremony on Dec. 7 at the Welding Center on the Shelby-Hoover Campus.
“‘I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Jefferson State,” said Kristen Holder, project manager with the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship. “You have a fabulous set of people that want to support you along with so many different employers in the room. So I want to say congratulations. Know that you have these folks who are your advocates as well as the state—we are there to make sure you are successful throughout your program.”
An apprenticeship program is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where an individual can obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, mentorship, and a nationally-recognized portable credential. Apprentices earn salaries while they learn, working full-time at an employer company and attending classes toward a degree or certificate.
The students who officially accepted apprenticeship offers on Dec. 7 included:
•Andrew Allen, AHR Metals Inc.
•Noah Graham, ProcessBarron
•Lucas Jennings, Steward Machine Company
•Sean Jennings, AHR Metals Inc.
•Devin Phillips, ProcessBarron
•Edwin Quintana, Steward Machine Company
•Noah Scott, TASSCO
•Brandon Smith, ProcessBarron
•Omar Sosa-Hernandez, AHR Metals Inc.
•Evan Timpa, ProcessBarron
Representatives from each of the companies participating in the apprenticeships were present at the ceremony to congratulate the students on the important step in their careers.
Welding Instructor Brody Scott said apprenticeships are beneficial for the students, employers, college—and ultimately communities as workforce needs are addressed.
“It’s a perfect match for those things to come together,” Scott said. “There were a lot of people who worked in the background for a long time to get this going. As a community college, we look forward to building these partnerships.”
The Welding Technology Certificate & AAS Degree program option allows students to earn industry-recognized welding certificates issued through the National Construction Center for Education & Research (NCCER) welding curriculum.
For more information about Jefferson State’s Welding Technology program and apprenticeships, click here.
