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Discover apprentice and employer spotlights, youth apprentice achievements, recent signing ceremonies, and insightful news articles.
Discover spotlight stories on apprentices, employers, and youth apprentices, including recent signings and insightful news articles about our registered apprenticeship programs ExTRA helped create.
Highlighting success: Meet apprentices making strides in their fields. Learn about these future leaders and their inspiring journeys, and skill mastery.
Employer: Owens-Illinois (O-I)
Occupation: Mold Maker
Why did you choose to become an apprentice? I really want to be able to get my journeyman’s card. I think becoming an apprentice helped me take my career to the Next Level.
What do you like about being an apprentice? I like that I’m able to learn about how a bottle is made and what it takes to fix the equipment needed to obtain a high-quality bottle. I have very good trainers that are showing me everything I need to know in order for me to be a good asset to the mold shop.
What are your day-to-day experiences as an apprentice? On a daily basis at the moment I am repairing blanks and working on my speed in order to keep the machines running. I’m also learning how to repair molds.
What advice would you give future apprentices? Come ready to go to work and be willing to learn everything you can in order to be the best you can be.
Employer: Owens-Illinois (O-I)
Occupation: Mold Maker
Why did you choose to become an apprentice? To learn more about the field I studied in college and to expand my knowledge in mold repair and glass making.
What do you like about being an apprentice? Learning different ways to repair and work on various equipment.
Can you describe your day -to- day experiences as an apprentice? Repairing various equipment to specification to get the most life out of each set of equipment.
What advice would you give future apprentices? Always ask questions. The more questions you ask, the more knowledge you will gain.
Related Technical Instruction Provider: Virginia Technical Institute
Occupation: Plumber
What do you like about being an apprentice? I enjoy the fact that I am doing different tasks every day and learning multiple tasks every day.
What attracted you to your position/apprenticeship? I was eager to learn of new opportunities in a trade.
Has anything surprised you about being an apprentice? The realization of what all goes into project from beginning to end.
Celebrating employers: Learn about their commitment to apprenticeship programs that shape careers and propel the workforce forward.
Location: Office in Danville, Va., but serve the states of Virginia and North Carolina
Why did your company make the decision to establish a registered apprenticeship program? We recognized the need in our industry and area for such a program, not only to increase the workforce but to give young people an opportunity to begin a career with proper training and experience.
Information about current or future apprenticeship opportunities: Our apprentices are enrolled at Virginia Technical Institute in a 4 Level program. Each of these levels are equal to a semester of instruction which is split between classroom lecture and practical lab. At the end of each semester, we evaluate our other employees to see who else may qualify to join the others in the apprenticeship program.
Has anything surprised you about being an apprenticeship sponsor? One thing that has surprised me about being an apprenticeship sponsor is the amount of support we’ve received. This journey to establish our apprenticeship program has not been one we’ve traveled alone. We’ve had a lot of help from the folks at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, our DOLI representative, as well as the people with Virginia Technical Institute.
The apprentice programs have been part of the structure of OI, formerly Brockway, since coming to the Danville area in 1978. These programs are an integral part of the glass manufacturing business. Employees learn their trade as it applies specifically to the process. We currently offer Industrial Maintenance and
Celebrating the achievements of youth apprentices: See the drive, skill, and ambition shaping the future of industries.
Employer: ProductWorks
Occupation: Mechanical Engineering apprentice
“My favorite thing about being an apprentice here is the opportunities are endless and every day I come and get to learn something new and hands on.”
Employer: Hitachi Energy
Occupation: Welder apprentice
“The best opportunity you will have is doing an apprenticeship. It gives you real world experience. You get to do hands on most of the time, and if you have a job you’re looking toward, you’ll already be ready for it, and you’ll have experience.”
Highlighting new apprenticeships: Witness the growth and future promise in various industries.
IALR worked with partners, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry and Virginia Technical Institute, to help Southside Mechanical Services (SMS) of Danville, Va., achieve registration as a State Apprenticeship Sponsor of an apprenticeship program that trains the next generation of plumbers.
John Daniel (Daniel Builders, LLC), Ulises Jimenez (Daniel Builders, LLC), and David Sage (Virginia Technical Institute) participate in a Signing Ceremony. Ulises Jimenez is a registered carpenter apprentice.
“We are honored to be recognized for our contributions as an apprenticeship intermediary. This award is a testament to IALR’s commitment to increasing access to registered apprenticeship programs and the invaluable partnerships we’ve forged with workforce stakeholders. We will continue to promote Registered Apprenticeship as the gold standard of work-based learning in Southern Virginia.” — Natori Neal, Apprenticeship Coordinator, IALR
The Franklin County Department of Public Safety and partners including The Franklin Center, VCU, Carilion, and Ferrum College, alongside IALR, launch Virginia’s inaugural Paramedic Registered Apprenticeship Program. Commencing with a Paramedic Apprentice Signing Day on February 14, 2024, the program combines 4,000 hours of paid training and 280 hours of coursework to advance paramedic standards in Franklin County, guiding apprentices towards national certification.
Two Danville entities, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research and the Danville Life Saving Crew, announce Virginia’s first EMT apprenticeship. The program started with a ceremony for 13 new apprentices, now employed full-time by the Crew to handle increasing emergency calls—from about nine to 50 calls per shift. This apprenticeship significantly boosts local emergency response capabilities through comprehensive training.
“This year, we wanted to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week with our ExTRA partners by meeting them in their own spaces. The Partner Pop-ups provided the perfect informal opportunity to personally thank them for working with us, reiterate our support for their programs, and recognize their demonstrated investment in providing registered apprenticeship opportunities to train their workforce.” – Natori Neal, IALR Apprenticeship Coordinator
Amidst a tight labor market with over 300,000 job vacancies, Virginia sees significant recruitment challenges. During National Apprenticeship Week, Kara Joyce emphasized the expansion of apprenticeship programs as a crucial strategy. Supported by the Virginia Department of Labor and IALR, these programs offer an ‘earn while you learn’ format, combining on-the-job training with classroom learning, culminating in a journeyworker card that is nationally recognized.
The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission granted IALR $497,890 to broaden its ExTRA apprenticeship initiative across Southern Virginia’s 15 localities. This funding, augmented by a Danville Regional Foundation match, supports the creation of 36 new apprenticeships annually, providing on-the-job training, technical education, and a stable pathway to acquiring a Journeyworker credential. This effort enhances IALR’s capacity as a DOLI intermediary sponsor, fostering regional economic growth.
In a significant collaboration with IALR, Daniel Builders, LLC has welcomed Ulises Jimenez as their first carpentry apprentice. This four-year program, split between Virginia Technical Institute classroom learning and on-site training, aims to refine Jimenez’s skills for professional carpentry. Completing this apprenticeship earns him a Journeyworker’s Credential, affirming his expertise and enabling him to mentor future apprentices.
Launched by Sovah Health-Danville and IALR, Southern Virginia’s first sonography apprenticeship aims to fill regional healthcare gaps. Macy McBride and Kelsey Moore, experienced X-ray technicians, transitioned into registered sonographers after a year of combined classroom instruction and practical experience. Planning to specialize further, both endorse the apprenticeship model for its effective blend of formal education and hands-on training, enhancing professional development and local healthcare services.
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