Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) has become a Louisiana-registered apprenticeship sponsor for the occupations of Industrial Maintenance Technician and Electrical Technician by the Louisiana State Apprenticeship Council.
What this means for not only Northwest Louisiana but also for the entire state of Louisiana is that any company needing to hire industrial maintenance technicians or electrical technicians can contact BPCC to meet their talent development needs. Interested companies will be able to send potential employees as well as incumbent workers through programs at BPCC to develop their business.
“Apprenticeships are a win for employers, filling their hard-to-fill positions,” says Beonica Frazier, BPCC’s Project Director for Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships. “It’s a win for apprentices, who learn a career and earn a salary, and a win for community colleges, by meeting their mission and increasing their completion and retention rates.”
“Registered Apprenticeships have been used to meet the needs of America’s skilled workforce for more than 80 years. These apprenticeship-training programs are available in 1500 occupations across 170 industries found in businesses of all sizes and last from one to five years. Apprenticeship programs are for ambitious people of all ages who want to earn a salary while they learn, gaining real skills and knowledge. These programs offer employers the opportunity to strengthen and build their workforce providing a tailored high-quality talent pipeline. In this regard, Registered Apprenticeship programs effectively meet the needs of both employers and job-seekers.”
At Benteler Steel/Tube, apprenticeships help the company to think long-term in its future needs. “By investing in talent development through apprenticeship, Benteler will gain a pipeline of loyal skilled workers, increase productivity, and improve the bottom line,” says Rhonda Simmons, Director of Human Resources. “Benteler is proud to be investing in the growth and development of our community by participating in two great programs that support the education and careers of our youth and our company’s future talent.”
Programs can be anywhere from one to five years depending on the company. BPCC’s programs focus on “competency-based” rather than on “time-based” completion. The apprentice can move through the program based on demonstrated competencies of skills required for completion. BPCC’s Industrial Maintenance Technician and Electrical Technician programs are 3-year programs and align with the College’s Industrial Technology associate degree. Students will go to school at BPCC and receive on-the-job training with their employer.
Companies or individuals can learn more about BPCC’s apprenticeship programs by contacting Beonica Rutherford-Frazier at bfrazier@bpcc.edu, (318) 678-6255 or Dr. Gayle Flowers at gflowers@bpcc.edu, (318) 678-6479.
To learn more about Apprenticeship Louisiana Initiative through the Louisiana Workforce Commission, visit https://apprenticeshipla.com/ and https://apprenticeshipla.com/employers/breakdown-of-a-registered-apprenticeship-program/. For more information on the State Apprenticeship Council, visit http://www.laworks.net/Apprenticeship/APP_Council.asp.