receives anywhere from five to fifty applications per year and typically accepts only two to three apprentices. The year-round program begins in the summer. For the first three to four months, apprentices do everything manu- ally, before graduating to automation. Four months in, they move on to the machines. They spend time on every machine, learning how to properly operate each. After six months, apprentices are usually fully acclimated and are working full- time on the floor.
Though hands-on training is a big part of the program, classroom teaching is equally important. Halfway through the program, classroom work culminates in a written exam to test apprentices’ knowledge of the machines and shop processes. Once they’ve passed their exam, apprentices work in each department and begin to determine where they might have an interest in working permanently. Apprentices can then plan their own projects based on personal strengths and interests. They have the freedom to test their skills in a lot of different areas, choosing their own career paths.
Although knowledge and training are invaluable, appren- tices do receive an annual salary—which increases each year. Of course, the single greatest reward for an apprentice is a job offer. Roughly 50% of participants are offered a job with KAISER after completing the program.
Mutually Beneficial
The apprenticeship model has been used in Switzerland for a long time, and it has been quite successful. Manufactur- ing companies benefit from having well-trained workers, and apprentices learn virtually everything they need to know in order to get a job—all while forming friendships, learning from top-quality teachers and earning a yearly salary. Apprenticeship proponents talk about the ability to train employees to their machines and processes, without having to train out bad habits that may have been learned elsewhere. What’s more, apprentices reap the benefits of classroom edu- cation while spending hours working on the actual machines they are learning about. Schüpbach believes the real-world training is what sets KAISER apprentices apart.
Transferring Overseas
As the United States economy struggles and companies slash budgets, training programs are often the first to go. Within the past 10 years, participation in apprenticeship programs in the United States has significantly declined, con-
Kevin, a KAISER Precision Tooling apprentice, makes tooling adjustments on the factory floor.
The United States Registered Apprenticeship program offers access to roughly 1000 career areas, including careers in the metalworking industry. While manufacturing apprenticeships meet the National Association of Manufacturers Endorsed Man- ufacturing Certification System, manufacturing shops only run some of the programs. On the other hand, industry associations run many, but they can’t always offer access to every machine, which limits the hands-on experience job shop owners are looking for. What’s more, these programs are often shorter than those offered by European companies like KAISER. The shorter programs don’t provide the extensive training and knowledge necessary to make a deep dive into shop-floor operations. The result is a workforce with underdeveloped skills. The KAISER apprenticeship program was put in place to train future employees. Schüpbach knows his apprentices can handle the machines in the shop because he spends four years training them to do so. KAISER is making its own future. US manufacturing shops might take a page out of the KAISER book. To bridge the skills gap, companies should consider taking matters into their own hands—sponsoring ap- prenticeship programs that will train employees to their exact standards. Adopting the KAISER model might be the solution so many American manufacturers are looking for. ME
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tributing to the gap between the skills of the available workers and the skill set manufacturers demand.
While apprenticeships are declining in the United States, STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) schools are on the rise. It’s possible that the missing link between grade school STEM education and employment is a valuable ap- prenticeship program.
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