ASHEBORO, N.C. – Twenty-one area students signed as registered apprentices on Apprenticeship Randolph’s annual Signing Day Aug. 3, held in the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center Auditorium at Randolph Community College. The ceremony will air Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 6 p.m. on Apprenticeship Randolph’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

The apprentices and industry partners took the stage at 15-minute interval appointment times with family and friends looking on in the audience. Masks were required and wellness checks were made at the door per COVID-19 pandemic guidelines.

The fourth Apprenticeship Randolph class represented the three local school systems — Asheboro City Schools, Randolph County Schools and Uwharrie Charter Academy. In all, 17 apprentices are taking the Advanced Manufacturing track with four apprenticing in the newest track, Information Technology (IT). Sixteen students signed up in 2017, the first year of the program, and 17 signed in 2018. With the addition of Automotive Systems Technology in 2019, 22 signed.

Apprenticeship Randolph began in June 2016 as a collaboration among Randolph Community College, the Randolph County School System, Asheboro City Schools, the Asheboro/Randolph Chamber of Commerce, and local manufacturers. The goal was to bridge both the interest and skill gaps in modern manufacturing and provide a vehicle for expanding the workforce pool for advance manufacturing in the county. With tuition funded through Career and College Promise and the N.C. Youth Apprenticeship Tuition Waiver Program, and books paid for by the school systems and the participating companies, Apprenticeship Randolph produces an educated, skilled, debt-free workforce.

The program, which is for high school juniors and seniors, begins with a six-week, pre-apprenticeship summer program that consists of RCC classes and 40 hours per week of on-the-job training. Once a business selects its apprentice after this trial period, the program is spread over four years with students receiving paid, on-the-job training while earning an Associate of Applied Science degree in manufacturing, automotive systems technology or information technology through RCC and a journeyworker certificate from the N.C. Community College System and U.S. Department of Labor.

This year, more than 100 applications from across the county were submitted for 18 manufacturing positions and four information technology positions. This year’s pre-apprentices (with high school) and industry partners are as follows:

• Elastic Therapy Inc. — Kamden Carlyle (Southwestern Randolph High School), Danny Prieto Torres (Asheboro High School)
• Energizer — Jerry Mize (Providence Grove High School), Sarah Primera (Eastern Randolph High School)
• Jowat Adhesives — Travis Jackson (Wheatmore High School), Damion McCafferty (Trinity High School), Josiah Meraz (Uwharrie Ridge 6-12 School), Logan Sink (Wheatmore High School)
• Mohawk Industries — Noah Guinn (Wheatmore High School), Payton Murdock (Randleman High School).
• Oliver Rubber — Darius Fernandez (Asheboro High School), Monye McQuaig-Graham (Randleman High School), Dean Wiseman (Asheboro High School)
• Post Consumer Brands — Christian Foley (Uwharrie Charter Academy), Ubaldo Gutierrez (Asheboro High School)
• Sapona Plastics — Joshua Hogan (Southwestern Randolph High School)
• Randolph Community College — Daniel Botchway (Asheboro High School)
• Technimark — Kenneth Houston (Eastern Randolph High School), Aiden Register (Eastern Randolph High School), Orion Simmons (Eastern Randolph High School)
• United Brass Works — Tyler Hulin (Randleman High School)

To view the ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 6 p.m., go to Apprenticeship Randolph’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/channel/UCWlTx7d9qdOvdjeBFFIc9bQ or visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ApprenticeshipRandolph.

For more information, visit www.apprenticeshiprandolph.com, contact RCC Pathways Activities Coordinator Stacey Miller at 336-318-4958, or email apprenticeshiprandolph@gmail.com.

Apprenticeship Randolph is always looking to add company partners. Interested 2020-21 rising sophomores, juniors and seniors should speak with the career development coordinators at their high schools to indicate interest in this program.

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