Number of Apprentices Increases at MCC and in New York State
March 14, 2022
As the demand for skilled workers surges across the state, an increasing number of New Yorkers – including Rochesterians – are taking advantage of apprenticeship opportunities, especially those in building trades and manufacturing, to access fast-growing careers with sustainable living wages immediately. Registered apprenticeships combine paid, on-the-job, full-time training and related classroom instruction.
The number of active, registered apprentices across the state increased by 2,094 in 2020 – the most recent year for which U.S. Department of Labor data is available – from 16,980 in 2017, a report by the New York City-based Center for an Urban Future showed. Salaries for experienced apprentices range between $50,000 and $100,000, according to state Department of Labor data.
At Monroe Community College, interest in apprenticeships is growing. Over the past three years, student enrollment in registered apprenticeship programs went up 17 percent to 245 students in 2021-22. Upon completing courses at MCC, apprentices earn college credits that can satisfy state Department of Labor requirements toward achieving journeyman status and get them closer to completing a one-year academic certificate or an associate degree in their discipline.
MCC student Nicole Ashley is halfway through a four-year apprenticeship program at PEKO Precision Products, where she is training on CNC machining. She pursued the apprenticeship after touring PEKO and meeting its team at a special event she attended with her parents. Nicole, a BOCES graduate, attributes her interest in skilled trades to her father, who as a mechanic held many other skills, including electrical and HVAC.
Rochester is home to over 650 building trades apprentices and over 140 manufacturing apprentices. With 18 building trade and 14 manufacturing trade apprenticeship programs in Rochester, residents have plenty of options to learn a skilled trade and start their career. PEKO has supported apprenticeship programs for over 30 years.
“Apprenticeships provide the strength upon which our nation is founded. As we broach Industry 4.0, developing talent through transferable skills via apprenticeship programs helps prepare and sustain the pipeline for the future and promotes and strengthens regional and national economic development,” said MaryLouise Steinwachs, a human resource director at PEKO.