If there’s one thing Jessica Regan wants to communicate to Richmond’s high school student population, it’s that there are a lot of trades looking for young apprentices.
“Almost all of the 113 trades are in demand, but with some of them you can walk onto the jobsite tomorrow,” said the secondary school apprenticeship facilitator.
Every trade requires a specific number of work hours and training before a new hire can obtain certification. With the Accelerated Enrollment in Industry Training (ACE IT) program, students age 15 through 19 can get a jumpstart on that process by getting high school credits for their trade work, as well as hours towards apprenticeship certification in the particular trade of their choice. As well, participating students who complete 900 hours by an age cut-off date qualify for a $1,000 award from the Industry Trading Authority (ITA), the governing body regulating trade certification.
The Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) program is available to students who already have paid work in the trades, Regan explained.
“You can’t just be volunteering – you have to have a certified trade employer paying the student.”
Regan liaisons between the employer, ITA, and the Richmond School District to register students for the SSA program, which is delivered through Richmond Virtual School and is designed to be flexible to fit the student's school and work schedule. Those who qualify, get 16 high school credits (the equivalent of four high school classes) and register their hours with the ITA.
Brighter Mechanical, a Richmond plumbing company, has been actively taking on apprentices over the past two years.
“Last year we had three students with them who received the ITA award, and this year we have an additional two,” Regan said. “They’re a fantastic company that believes in giving young people a chance, mentoring young Richmond students and giving them employment.”
Ian Schutz, manager of crew development for Brighter Mechanical, said the company is always looking for people who are accountable, work well in a team and take pride in what they do.
“We bring on young students and like to train them the Brighter way,” he said, adding that salaries for new hires start at $13 per hour, and there’s immediate participation in the company’s benefits, incentives and bonuses.
“Participating in the program has been a fantastic experience for us and we’re really happy with the progress of the five students we’ve taken on. We hope they’ll go through their whole apprenticeship with us and continue on with us after that, too.”
