The Pennsylvania Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program recently awarded the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) of Shamokin Electricians IBEW LU 607 $297,000.
The JATC runs a five-year program for training apprentices in the electrical industry. Graduates of the program with electrical industry experience serve as instructors. A total of 35 apprentices are currently enrolled at the JATC’s 6,000-square-foot training center in Shamokin.
Program participants receive 180 hours of classroom training annually and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. They earn a paycheck that increases as they advance through the program, but apprentices also must contribute financially to their training.
The JATC will use the funding to offset expenses for students and purchase supplies for the program.
“This will have a significant impact in our ability to provide training in our rapidly advancing industry,” Michael J. Glowatski, training director, said.
The Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Program works to increase apprenticeship accessibility statewide. Eligible applicants can use the funding for expenses related to instruction that complements on-the-job learning.
“Apprentices earn a paycheck while learning the specialized skills they need to secure a good job upon completion of their program,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “This is a true win for both apprentices and businesses in Pennsylvania.”