Page 32 - IEC Insights Jan-Feb2020

FEATURE

EC Chesapeake is partnering with to Success is a collaboration between meet the growing labor needs of the
Maryland’s innovative Pathway to Maryland Department of Labor, Maryland industry and providing opportunities
Success Apprenticeship Program Public Schools, and IEC Chesapeake. to high school seniors who did not
which aims to prepare Maryland take the electrical classes currently
Iyouth for employment in registered When we asked IEC Chesapeake’s offered at the high school level. In
apprenticeships. The program has been in Executive Director, Grant Shmelzer, most cases this is due to full classes.
place for three years in January and has how he saw the Pathway to Success
had over 50 students enter the program. program impacting the electrical For more information about IEC
Currently Howard County High School industry, he had the following to say. Chesapeake, visit
seniors have transitioned from a Pre- www.iecchesapeake.com.
Apprenticeship Program into a school to The program was put into place to
apprenticeship program (STA). Students supplement existing high school electrical For more information about the Maryland
are working a minimum of 16 hours a programs (CTE or Votech) as the number Apprenticeship program, visit:
week and being compensated as they of graduates completing the existing www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/appr.
complete Year 1 of the apprenticeship programs is not meeting the demands
program which is being paid for by the of the industry. This solution provides Luisa is the Chapter Development
company sponsors. On January 21, 2020 the opportunity for the school systems Manager for IEC National.
the program will be expanded into Anne to work with business community to
Arundel county.
IEC Chesapeake is conducting a
200-hour electrical trade pre-
apprenticeship program for 23 high
school seniors. It includes a combination
of hands-on training and classroom
instruction. Each student that successfully
completes the program and meets
minimum criteria set by IEC Chesapeake
will secure employment as an electrician
helper and have a chance to participate
in Maryland’s registered apprenticeship
program. In the fall of 2020, a new group
of Anne Arundel High School seniors will
enter a school to apprenticeship program
just as the Howard County students.
Through this pre-apprenticeship program,
Maryland youth from both counties will be
given an opportunity to begin a career in
the electrical trade.

Pathways to Success is a program
that combines classroom instruction
and hands-on skills training. “As the
skilled trades continue to experience
workforce shortages, it is imperative
that Maryland’s workforce system
proactively responds to this trend
by expanding the availability of our
apprenticeship programs. The Pathways
to Success initiative allows business,
school systems, and governments to
collaborate and offer students a valuable
experience that puts them on a career
pathway and sets them up for success.”
said Maryland Department of Labor
Secretary, Tiffany P. Robinson. Pathway

30 Insights Magazine | January/February 2020 | www.ieci.org