NWACC apprenticeship graduation tonight
Posted on Friday, May 16, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/brog/News/60308/
BENTONVILLE — Northwest Arkansas Community College’s Corporate Learning Apprenticeship graduation ceremony will be at 6 tonight in the Wal-Mart Auditorium at the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies on the NWACC campus.
The certificate ceremony will celebrate the accomplishments of 31 electrical and plumbing apprentices who have completed a four-year program.
NWACC will graduate 25 electrical and six plumbing apprentices, according to an NWACC news release.
Featured speaker Steve Wilson helped start the apprenticeship programs at NWACC Corporate Learning five years ago.
“ Steve was not only my instructor, but my mentor, ” said Rick Mayes, NWACC Skilled Trades coordinator. “ I feel fortunate to be able to continue the success he started here and maintain it. ”
Wilson was the coordinator when some of the graduates started the programs four years ago.
The special guest speaker will be Jack Shewmaker.
“ It’s an honor for me that Mr. Shewmaker is going to take time from his busy schedule to speak with these graduates, ” Mayes said. “ He always makes a point to visit when he is at the Shewmaker Center and always asks about the apprentices. ”
The apprenticeship program is state-mandated for those wishing to be licensed in the electrical and plumbing fields.
Apprentices are required to attend an approved school while working full time, learning hands-on skills under a master in their related trade.
Apprentices attend a fourhour class one night a week July to May for four years.
The electrical apprentices take 148 hours of classroom study per year; plumbing apprentices take 160. They study “ codes” and requirements of the trade.
They also receive training in ethics, safety and problem solving. Apprentices complete 8, 000 hours of on-the-job training.
Once the apprentices have met requirements, they are eligible to take the state journeyman’s exam, administered by the state of Arkansas. Apprentices must make a score of 70 on the exam to obtain a license.
For more information, contact Mayes at 936-5162 or at rmayes @ nwacc. edu.