Commonwealth Rolled Products and Ivy Tech Community College Partner on Two Apprenticeship Programs

Commonwealth Rolled Products and Ivy Tech Community College Partner on Two Apprenticeship Programs

 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Commonwealth Rolled Products in partnership with the Ivy Tech Community College Evansville, has announced the development and registration of two apprenticeship programs for industrial maintenance mechanics and maintenance electricians. Grant funding through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America program, has made this possible.

 

Commonwealth Rolled Products, located in Lewisport, Ky., is a leading supplier of automotive body sheet to premium North American OEMs. The company prides itself for having a “dedicated team” which includes maintenance mechanics and electricians who play a key role in the production process by ensuring that all equipment is maintained at high standards and are always ready to respond to issues when they occur.

 

Ivy Tech Community College Evansville is providing the related training required by the U.S. Department of Labor for registered apprenticeship programs. Each program is supported with an interdisciplinary industrial workforce technical certificate which is customized to the specific needs of Commonwealth. The training was developed in conjunction with Commonwealth through a collaboration of the Ivy Tech Ivy+ Career Link team in Evansville, the School of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering and Applied Science, and Katie King, site director of Ivy Tech’s Tell City location.

 

“We are very pleased to partner with Ivy Tech on our apprenticeship programs. Having well trained skilled trades is critical to our business and to the economy of this nation,” said Ed Hemmersbach, chief operating office of Commonwealth Rolled Products. “Ivy Tech has a long and well-proven track record working with local industry in apprentice partnerships.”

Evansville campus Chancellor Daniela Vidal urges any company interested in partnering to develop an apprenticeship program to reach out. “Giving employers the ability to skill up their workforce, and provide meaningful training and skills to their employees, is one of the things Ivy Tech does best.” Employers may partner with Ivy Tech by contacting Ivy+ Career Link at 812 429-9847.

 

Ivy Tech assisted with the registration process with the U.S. Department of Labor and provided funding from the Apprenticeship Building America grant. According to Scott Derr, the lead project navigator for the Ivy Tech apprentice hub, the grant funding supports the efforts of employers to develop and launch apprenticeship programs by offsetting associated costs such as the work done by administrative staff and to set up the mentorship program, which is an integral component of the registered apprenticeship program. 

 

The Apprenticeship Building America grant program is designed to expand and modernize registered apprenticeship by increasing the number of programs and apprentices, diversifying the industries that use registered apprenticeship and improving the access to and performance of registered apprenticeship programs for underrepresented and underserved communities.