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Partnership in apprentice education announced

Allows students to receive apprenticeship hours while in high school

RUSSELL SPRINGS, Ky. (Feb. 23, 2015) — State officials today at Dr. Schneider Automotive Systems in Russell Springs announced a new partnership for competency-based learning in apprentice education.

Unknown-1The initiative allows high school students to receive up to half of their apprenticeship hours before graduation based on competency in registered apprenticeship programs — instead of a set amount of classroom and on-the-job training hours previously required for many apprenticeships.

The program at Dr. Schneider works with an established pre-apprenticeship program known as Tech Ready Apprentices for Careers in Kentucky (TRACK), which allows students to also gain apprenticeship hours through their career and technical education classes and participating local business and industry partners.

The pre-apprenticeship program aligns with several criteria a community must meet to obtain Kentucky Work Ready Community certification, which assures employers that a local workforce has the talent and skills necessary to staff existing jobs and to master the innovative technologies new jobs will require.

Russell County is currently one of 33 counties in the state that has achieved Work Ready Community in Progress status. This shows that a community is working with its businesses, education workforce and economic development leaders to set and meet common goals that will give the county and economic edge. TRACK impacts the high school graduation rate, educational attainment and development of soft skills. Students completing the program will acquire employability and occupational skills required of the workforce.

Dr. Schneider has already placed two students from the nearby Lake Cumberland Area Technology Center in this new training program.