Danville Area Community College’s (DACC) first apprenticeship was developed in Mechatronics with thyssenkrupp Presta (now ThyssenKrupp Dynamic Components) in 2015.  Samuel came to DACC and Vermilion County Works (VCW), the WIOA Title I provider, in July of 2019 as a new employee for ThyssenKrupp. The company had recently started a Registered Apprenticeship program and had approached VCW for assistance with getting the program off the ground. Samuel started classes at DACC toward his Mechatronics certificate while working at TK at the same time to acquire hands-on skills. VCW was able to provide assistance in paying for his tuition, fees and books for his classroom portion of training. Additionally, VCW provided Samuel with a complete set of mechanics’ tools for worksite training. Samuel successfully completed his Mechatronics certificate in July of 2020, and was able to complete his required work hours in December of 2021 to earn his Journeyman certificate of completion. Samuel continues working as a technician for TK, and his training journey is a testament to the value of registered apprenticeships in workforce training.

DPI worked with City Colleges of Chicago and Cognizant, our employer partner, to create a 16-week pre-apprenticeship program. The program is being offered through Wilbur Wright's Continuing Education department and meets online every Wednesday evening and in-person every Thursday evening and Saturday mornings. Upon successful completion of the program, the pre-apprentices have the opportunity to interview with Cognizant and be hired as a fulltime apprentice, with a starting wage of $25 an hour.