Tech colleges to train electrical, mechanical apprentices

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The idea of an apprentice might conjure thoughts of bygone days but Trident Technical College is creating a modern program to train industrial and engineering technicians.

The Alcoa Foundation has donated $100,000 to launch the program next semester.

It will offer classroom training and work experience and let students work on and maintain equipment at 10 local companies, said Chris Lang, the college’s dean for industrial and engineering technology.

The state technical college system will ask lawmakers next year for $1 million to create a program to find businesses interested in hiring apprentices and letting students know about apprenticeships.

Carole Bruno of Alcoa Mt. Holly and a member of the Alcoa Foundation board said the average technician is more than 40 years old and there are not enough younger workers to fill jobs as those workers near retirement.

Demand for electrical technicians will grow 14 percent in the next five years while demand for maintenance and repair workers will grow 18 percent, according to the state Occupational Employment Statistics Wage Survey.

Apprentices work four days a week and attend classes on the fifth day, Lang said.

While training, students generally earn more than $8 an hour. When they complete the four-year program, they are expected to earn between $14 and $20 an hour, the school said.

College president Mary Thornley said South Carolina lags other states in apprenticeship programs.

South Carolina has only 850 registered apprentices compared with 18,000 in Florida, 16,000 in North Carolina and more than 10,000 in both Georgia and Tennessee.

Apprenticeships train students while providing labor needed by businesses, said Barry Russell, president of South Carolina’s technical college system.

The money the tech system is seeking from lawmakers next year will be used to teach students about the programs.

“If you went into high schools and talked to juniors and seniors about registered apprenticeships, you’d probably get a lot of blank stares,” he said.

The program initially will focus on apprenticeships in manufacturing, automotive and tourism industries, Russell said.

Apprenticeships are offered for about 850 different jobs and once students complete programs, they are registered by the U.S. Department of Labor and can move to other companies.

Students also can use apprenticeship credits toward an associate’s degree.