On Saturday, May 13th, Rend Lake College held its Commencement Ceremony for the graduating class of 2023. Among the graduates were three individuals who went through the Rend Lake College Apprenticeship Program. Kyle Garrison of Mt Vernon, Zack Leschke of West Frankfort, and John Simpkins (pictured) of Hurst, IL, all received an Associates of Applied Science in Industrial Electronics and Maintenance. This degree sets them up to be an immediate asset to their employers and opens the door to further education if they choose to continue earning a Bachelor’s degree.

Leschke and Simpkins were both Apprentices at Continental Tire in Mt. Vernon, IL, whereas Garrison was an Apprentice at North American Lighting in Salem, IL. The two companies believe there is great value in establishing an Apprenticeship Program to fuel their talent pipeline needs. They continue to partner with Rend Lake College today to bring the apprenticeship opportunity to more individuals throughout southern Illinois.