Northwest students vying for paid industry-led apprenticeships

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SENATOBIA, MS (12/10/2018) Recently, Northwest Mississippi Community College Industrial Electronics Engineering Technology (IEET) students had an opportunity to interview for paid industry-led apprenticeships with local companies.

Northwest's Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) program is designed to offer students the opportunity to interview for an industry-led apprenticeship with companies to begin during the spring semester of their freshman year in the IEET program.

Partnering companies agree to have students work a minimum of 16 hours per week, paying them a minimum of $14 an hour so that the students may obtain work experience and on the job training while continuing their education.

Also, partnering companies may be eligible for reimbursement through our Workforce Investment Opportunity Act program (WIOA). WIOA funds are provided through the Mississippi Partnership Workforce Area administered through Three Rivers Planning and Development District and South Delta Planning and Development District to offset the student's wages during the Spring semester.

IEET students are required to obtain professionalism training, attend resume-writing workshops, and participate in a mock interview with Northwest's Job Coach, Presley Casto, prior to participating in the interview process.

The Job Coach position is funded through Families First of Mississippi to better address the need for professionalism training as determined by partnering companies. Students' attendance and grades are also monitored to determine eligibility for participation.

"This year, we had 11 companies in attendance to interview 13 students for industry-led apprenticeship positions. Typically, most companies will want at least one apprentice with some wanting as many as three. Our goal is to place every eligible student in an apprenticeship position," said Katie Broadway, Employer Partnership Coordinator.

For more information, contact Broadway at 662.562.3341 or email kbroadway@northwestms.edu.

Pictured: Gumarreus McNeal (left),a sophomore from Clarksdale studying Industrial Electronics Engineering Technology (IEET) atNorthwest Mississippi Community College interviews for a paid internship with (l-r) Monty Dhimmar, manufacturing engineer and Alex Isbell, maintenance supervisor of Parker Hannifin Corporation in Holly Springs. Northwest IEET students were placed in internships with 11 companies who visited the campus recently. (Photo by LaJuan Tallo)