Those visiting Salem last week with the Illinois Manufacturers Association’s ‘Makers on the Move’ bus tour were told how North American Lighting is helping employees advance with the help of a new apprenticeship program provided by Kaskaskia College.
The Dean of Work Force Engagement and Industrial Careers Joy Fitts outlined the program.
“In February of this year we signed an agreement with NAL to be the employer sponsor for registered apprenticeship program for NAL. It is for the occupation of Industrial Maintenance Technician. It is a 2-year program. NAL will pay for the tuition fees and books for students that are in the program. Currently we have 3 apprentices going through the program that started this fall. Last year we had one apprentice complete the training program in a non-registered program.”
Fitts says the college is utilizing the program to educate students on the advanced jobs available at area manufacturers.
“Our goal is to educate students that manufacturing is not the stereotypical dirty job that they think it’s going to be. There are opportunities in business, information technology, computer programming as well as industrial technology, welding…so there are a lot of opportunities within manufacturing.”
One of the three taking advantage of an internship at NAL is Ricky Stroup of Kinmundy. He has been with the company since 2014 and has worked his way up from an operator to material handler, molding tech, assembly tech, and now with the help of college course work he is becoming an maintenance electrician.
Stroup says when he started at NAL it was a job, now it has become a career. He said his move into the engineering tech field would not have been possible without North American Lighting.
