Technology company Continental has established an apprenticeship program for more than 1,200 high school students at its Norfolk, Neb. plant. The program was created in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, the State of Nebraska Office of Apprenticeship and Norfolk Public Schools.
“We welcome the opportunity to be a part of the next level of education for those Norfolk High School students who not only wish to attend college, but also want to add to their portfolios of knowledge and expertise gained in a manufacturing environment such as Continental,” says Rob McClenaghan, human resource manager at Continental’s Norfolk plant. “We are pleased to offer this first-of-its-kind program in Norfolk, and Continental is equally proud to help enrich students learning and help the community grow.”
The apprenticeship program is designed for Norfolk High School junior or senior class students with a 2.5 GPA or higher. The student also must be taking part in the autobody or metal careers academy at the school.
“Our plant will expose the students to a typical manufacturing environment, including the use of machinery, control panel utilization, parameter changes to specs and process monitoring,” McClenaghan says. “This will include a variety of tasks related to production, but all will be monitored by Continental employees and follow strict plant safety and environmental policies.”
Apprentices will be paid for their work at a ratio comparable to journey workers for adequate supervision. Students will also earn college credit hours toward a degree.
The technology company wants to enable young talents to develop their abilities in the best possible way and to make optimal use of their skills. Therefore, in its human resource development programs, Continental considers the different development levels of the individual employees. Globally, more than more than 2,100 young people are taking part in either a bachelor’s degree program or an apprenticeship.
