Providing a Pathway to High-Demand, Well-Paying Careers
County College of Morris (CCM) is offering individuals an opportunity to embark on a well-paying career path in advanced manufacturing by taking part in on-the-job training through its CareerAdvance USA apprenticeship program.
The first step to becoming an apprentice in the CareerAdvance USA program is to take part in a boot camp to learn the basic skills needed for employment in advanced manufacturing. Totaling 213-hours, the boot camp covers all of the advanced manufacturing basics and gives students the opportunity to earn college credits over a four- to 10-week timeframe. An OSHA 10 General Industry Completion Card, up to five National Institute of Metalworking Skills certifications and a SolidWorks certification are awarded upon successful completion of the certification exam and required hours.
Job opportunities apprentices can pursue include computer numerical control operator, manual machinist, shop technician and CAD drafter.
While the apprenticeship program is offered at no cost, there is a $3,750 fee, plus the purchase of supplies, to take part in the boot camp. Scholarships are available and payment is broken up over a period of time instead of being due as one lump sum.
CCM’s Center for Workforce Development, which is overseeing the program, will be holding a series of virtual Information Sessions where individuals can learn more about the boot camp and apprenticeship program.
Those interested in the program can sign-up for an information session and receive Zoom login information by visiting www.ccm.edu/apprenticeships/.
CCM was awarded a four-year $4 million CareerAdvance USA grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to lead a consortium of New Jersey community colleges to create successful apprenticeship models in advanced manufacturing. The participating schools are Bergen Community College, Camden County College, Hudson County College, Mercer County Community College, Middlesex County College, Raritan Valley Community College and Rowan College of South Jersey. Together, they are working with national industry partners including Carl Stahl Sava Industries, Marotta, North American Plywood Corporation, Norwalt Design, Thorlabs, The Weiss-Aug Group, and other leading firms in New Jersey.
Serving as a major resource for the program is the 31,500-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Center on the CCM campus that opened this fall. That center, featuring state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, was designed to meet the demand for trained employees.
It is estimated that over the next decade advanced manufacturing will need to fill 3.4 million jobs with the majority of those positions being related to the pending retirement of baby boomers. Along with good job prospects, the field pays well with an average starting salary of $45,000 to $65,000 plus benefits after completing an apprenticeship.
The CCM apprenticeship program is approved by New Jersey Department of Labor and is listed on the New Jersey Training Opportunities website. Additional information also can be found on the CCM website at www.ccm.edu/apprenticeships/ or by emailing careerusa@ccm.edu.
