Menominee County business awarded for expanding apprenticeships

MENOMINEE, Mich. (WLUC) – Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! hosted a Race to Talent event to encourage local businesses to adopt the U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship program in Menominee on Tuesday.

U.P. Michigan Works! Talent Pipeline Manager Megan Boddy says there aren’t many training locations in the U.P., so the program helps people earn while they learn close to home. She says employers benefit from acquiring a well-trained workforce.

“A workforce that is committed to their employer and loyal to their employer because their employer has really invested in them and invested in their training,” Boddy said.

She says career seekers benefit from a rigorous training program to pursue any occupation. Boddy also says registered apprenticeships can be more than auto and construction. More businesses are using them to teach jobs like administration and digital marketing.

“There’s actually over 1,200 occupations that can be apprenticed,” Boddy said. “Anything from a beekeeper to an accountant to an IT specialist.”

Menominee County’s Advanced Blending Solutions received an award for expanding apprenticeships in Michigan. ABS HR Generalist and Grant Manager Beth Belcher helped set up the company’s apprenticeship program, and she’s also an apprentice.

“I’ve gained a lot of great on-the-job experience, and then, on top of that, the apprenticeship has really helped me continue my education,” Belcher added.

She says the program has its share of financial benefits.

“If you’re applying for other grants, it can help sometimes get you more funding, which is always great,“ Belcher said. ”And it can also help get you extra points on the grant scoring because that’s well recognized, too.”

Boddy says registered apprenticeships are taking off as an industry excellence model.

Learn more about Registered Apprenticeships here.

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