RAYMOND โ ะยฒสอ๘ hosted a ceremony for Continental Tire to sign their first Mechatronics Technician registered apprentices during National Apprenticeship Week on Nov. 20.
Ashley West of Bolton and Jaylen McGriggs of Clinton are the first apprentices to be promoted into the Mechatronics Technician registered apprenticeship program. West and McGriggs worked full-time as Production Technologist apprentices over the past year while completing the required ะยฒสอ๘ Electro-Mechanical Technology courses.
โItโs rare to get this type of opportunity,โ West said. โAs a young lady, I was nervous coming into the apprenticeship program, but I had mentors to guide me in order to succeed. Iโm looking forward to this next step in my career with Continental.โ
Their strong work ethic and ability to demonstrate the necessary skills check offs allowed them to advance into the Mechatronics Technician apprenticeship. โItโs great to see all the hard work is paying off. Iโve moved up in pay and to a new position. My goal is to eventually go to engineering school and grow my career at Continental Tire,โ McGiggs said.
Continental Tire plans to continue promoting the ะยฒสอ๘-sponsored Production Technologist and Mechatronics Technician registered apprenticeship programs.
โPartnering with ะยฒสอ๘ has been beneficial for Continental as well as the students,โ said Yevette Davis, Talent Acquisition Manager. โIt gives us an opportunity to build our workforce pipeline and provides the apprentices with practical hands-on experience to compliment the classroom knowledge.โ
The Mechatronics Technician signing ceremony also served as a recruitment event for the next round of Production Technologist apprentices. ะยฒสอ๘ Electro-Mechanical Technology students attended the event to learn more about apprenticeship opportunities at Continental. Gage Treubel of Vicksburg and Bryce Rebert of Bovina, who previously completed the Production Technologist apprenticeship program, attended the ceremony to celebrate West and McGriggsโ accomplishments and shared about their experiences as apprentices with the ะยฒสอ๘ students.
Josh Bower, ะยฒสอ๘ Dean of Agriculture and Transportation and Director of Talent, Workforce & Economic Development, collaborated with Continental Tire and the U.S. Department of Labor to establish the two apprenticeship programs.
โIt is fantastic to see the positive impact the Continental apprenticeship programs have on our community,โ Bower said. โOur students have the unique opportunity to build an incredible career while accumulating no college debt. Continental pays for tuition, books and tools. These apprenticeship programs are life changing.โ
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With six campuses in central Mississippi, ะยฒสอ๘ is a comprehensive institution offering quality, affordable educational opportunities with academic programs of study leading to seamless university transfer and career and technical programs teaching job-ready skills.
Our Mission: ะยฒสอ๘ is committed to moving people and communities forward by helping develop their purpose, passion and profession.
Our Vision: ะยฒสอ๘ will be a catalyst to create a competitive economy and a compelling culture for Mississippi.
Our Values: ะยฒสอ๘ aspires to the following IDEALS: Integrity, Diversity, Excellence, Accountability, Leadership, Stewardship.
To learn more, visit www.hindscc.edu or call 1.800.ะยฒสอ๘CC.