Over 60 industry and business representatives attended an informational session hosted by Mitchell Community College’s Workforce Development sector in partnership with Iredell-Statesville School District and Mooresville-Graded School District, Iredell Ready, and ApprenticeshipNC.
Over breakfast, participants discussed innovative ways for the retention and recruitment of employees by using apprenticeships to capture a company’s legacy knowledge and pass it down to future generations of employees.
Apprenticeships can combine on-the-job learning with supplemental technical instruction. Mitchell Community College can assist with the process by providing interested businesses with the resources they need to design an effective apprenticeship program along with the customized curriculum needed to cultivate a student’s skills with related instruction.
“We seek to approach the student in a holistic way,” said Deb Lazenby, Director of Customized Training and Business Services at Mitchell. “An apprenticeship is a way to train a skilled workforce that maintains organizational culture and knowledge.”
With the help of ApprenticeshipNC representatives, attendees could ask questions in an open format about the apprenticeship process and the way it would work with their business or industry.
“What drives apprenticeships are the qualified, on-the-job mentors who are concerned with continuing the communal knowledge of your company,” said Eric Tillmon, a Field Supervisor for the Western Region of the ApprenticeshipNC program. Tillmon wanted employers to know that an apprenticeship program is designed to meet the needs of your business, but it also provides you with the flexibility to adjust and tweak it to evolving needs.
Other speakers included Dr. Chris Harrington, Agency Director, and Sylvia Jones, a consultant, with ApprenticeshipNC; Tim Woody, Director of Career & Technical Education (I.S.S.); and Julie Blocker, Career & Technical Education Administration (MGSD).
Mitchell Community College is a sponsor of the ApprenticeshipNC program and has a list of pre-established, registered careers for the apprenticeship program. If a business is interested in the Mitchell’s apprenticeship program or needs assistance in starting their own apprenticeship program, please contact Deb Lazenby, Director of Customized Training and Business Services at Mitchell at (704) 878-3235 or dlazenby@mitchellcc.edu.
