A Youth Apprentice Success Story by Eileen Donovan, MACNY
I’m not in the habit of reading periodicals like Modern Machine Shop. That’s why I enjoy working with subject matter experts like Michelle Shatrau, President and CEO of N.E.T. and Die in Fulton, NY. Michelle sent along this article, with which I’ve taken liberties to excerpt here.
As a member of our Apprentice Advisory Committee for Youth, Michelle is on the lookout for articles and examples of ways in which the Registered Apprenticeship model is working for others, in the hope that we may borrow best practices. This manufacturer is in Wisconsin, a state for whom apprenticeship requirements differ from those of New York State. However, the point of the article is well-taken; we need to innovate to develop the emerging workforce in our own backyard. Apprenticeship for Youth is one of those ways. If you’re on the fence about whether to get involved with our Apprenticeship for Youth program, just check out how A to Z Machine is training “Today’s Apprentices, Tomorrow’s Employee Leaders.”
…In addition to investing in its current employees, A to Z Machine invests in its community with a long-running apprenticeship program. This focus on apprentices includes both journeymen apprentices studying at nearby technical schools — who receive tuition reimbursement and flexible schedules to accommodate class time alongside work — and youth apprentices from local high schools, who work at A to Z through the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program.
Two or three youth apprentices start work at A to Z Machine in the summer every year, training in the toolroom and quality inspection department before making their first parts in what the company has dubbed the “training utility machining” area. This part of the shop features several older machines that have proven good fits for first-time machinists. These include an old Bridgeport mill, a manual lathe, a surface mill and two CNC mills — one with a Mazak control based on conversational programming and the other with a FANUC control based on G-code.
After creating simple and repetitive parts on these machines for a few months, the youth apprentices begin shadowing machinists in other departments. By the winter holidays, A to Z means for them to understand the key differences between milling and turning in preparation for larger responsibilities in the new year. The apprentices start with conversational programming, then learn G-code once they have a little more experience. A computer in the training utility area also introduces the apprentices to GibbsCAM.
A to Z has recently taken further steps to develop the next generation of manufacturers by partnering with a local high school to develop shop class curricula. The company believes this school partnership will swiftly become mutually beneficial, with top performers in metalworking classes getting recommendations to work as youth apprentices at A to Z.
These investments have resulted in a valuable source of employees for A to Z and valuable work experience for young people in the Appleton area. Currently, 13 former youth apprentices work at A to Z Machine. Many have enjoyed lengthy tenures at the company: One of A to Z’s first apprentices started at the company almost 20 years ago and has stayed there his entire career. Several former youth apprentices have also become leaders and specialists on the shop floor. Two former apprentices run the company’s large Doosan HM 1250W horizontal machining center, and a former youth apprentice now plays a strong role within A to Z’s toolroom."
If you would like to learn how to become involved with MACNY’s Apprenticeship for Youth Program, please reach out Eileen Donovan edonovan@macny.org.
Sources:
Doran, E. (n.d.). Top shop builds upon employee ownership for future success. Modern Machine Shop. Retrieved October 13, 2022, from https://www.mmsonline.com/articles/top-shop-builds-upon-employee-ownership-for-future-success
