Signing Day Event to Welcome 32 High School Students to Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program
March 3, 2021
Spencerport, NY—With a combination of technology, determination and creative planning, the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program will hold its second annual “Signing Day” event—in person—on Wednesday, March 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. To celebrate this special occasion, 32 local high school students will be joined by their families and 13 leading manufacturing businesses at Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES in Spencerport. Taking strict measures to ensure the health and safety of all, organizers have arranged a hybrid event that will combine the excitement of an in-person event for all students while also streaming the festivities for those supporters not able to attend in person.*
Modeled after the NFL’s high-energy, suspense-filled Draft Day, the Youth Apprenticeship “Signing Day” will feature streaming videos, contract announcements, official signings between students and employers, photo ops, team swag, and the first steps to bright careers for these youth.
In its second year, this innovative program, coordinated by the Rochester Technology & Manufacturing Association (RTMA) and Monroe Community College (MCC), is the exciting culmination of a competitive, multi-phased application and interview process that pairs qualified high school students with local manufacturing companies for related instruction, job shadowing, and paid co-ops.
Bob Coyne
Developed by the RTMA and MCC, this unparalleled initiative was created to proactively address the increasing need for a well-trained labor supply in the manufacturing sector. “During this past year, as the world scrambled to address the pandemic, the manufacturing industry swiftly and strategically responded, effectively providing essential supplies while keeping our economic engines running. This experience further underscored the growing resurgence of American Manufacturing in our region,” said Bob Coyne, executive director for the RTMA. “The former days of manufacturing are behind us and we are proud to usher in the next generation of talented students who will help lead the industry to a new era of technology, international competition, and manufacturing distinction.”
More than a dozen manufacturers have stepped forward to serve as student sponsors. These companies include: Precision Grinding & Manufacturing, Acro Industries Inc., Jrlon Engineered Products, Love Beets, OptiPro, Optimax, Kodak, Micro Instrument Corp., Genesee Global, Carestream, Unither, DP Tool, and CooperVision. The Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program is supported by funding from RG&E and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.
* All guests are asked to enter the building through the front entrance. Note: COVID protocols as designated by the NYS Department of Health are mandatory. Masks are to be worn at all times by everyone while in the building.