On January 6th, 23 students celebrated at a graduation hosted by End Hunger Calvert County. The training, developed and performed by the Washington, DC Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, was designed to prepare entry level workers for positions as trainees in the field of electrical construction. Additionally, the students are encouraged to use the program as a springboard towards the JATC’s Inside Wireman Apprenticeship program. The students completed a required 90 hours of intensive training spread out over 30 evenings.
The ultimate goal is to connect unemployed residents in Calvert County with the opportunities available at the JATC. This electrical training session is the third of this type of partnership which the JATC has joined in Calvert County. End Hunger sought out private funding to continue the program after the Maryland Energy Sector Partnership grant that funded the first two sessions expired. The program eliminates all the normal obstacles a career seeker would encounter.
Approximately 35% of the people who completed the New Worker Program and applied to the Inside Wireman Apprenticeship have been accepted. The JATC has done this training with partners in Anne Arundel and Prince Georges counties, as well. Hundreds of Maryland residents have had the opportunity to participate. Many past students are currently in their third year of apprenticeship and well on their way to rewarding careers as union electricians.
To learn more about the JATC apprenticeship program, visit www.getchargedup.org.
