APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM RAMPS UP
EFSC and a team of industry partners welcomed 10 new Advanced Machinist students into a specialized apprenticeship program that is playing an important role in providing area companies with high-tech workers .
• The Space Coast Consortium Apprenticeship Program - an industry driven effort led by several advanced manufacturing companies in Brevard County - is spearheading the move .
• The first group of seven Mechatronics apprentice students entered the program in 2019 and completed their work in December 2020 , with the new group of Advanced Machinist apprentices beginning their studies on EFSC ’ s Cocoa Campus .
• Under the program , students attend classes two days a week at EFSC and work three days a week on the manufacturing floors of participating companies .
• The new group will be employed at Blue Origin , Knight ’ s Armament and Diamondback America .
• By mixing classroom learning with on-the-job training , students graduate with a state Apprenticeship Certificate and EFSC machinist certificate credits that can count toward an Associate Degree in Engineering Technology from the college .
• The new students entered the program in a signing ceremony at Airbus OneWeb Satellites at Kennedy Space Center where EFSC officials and others called it a key to growing the Space Coast economy .
• “ Providing a pipeline of highly skilled employees to local high-tech industries is a vital part of our mission , which is why we continue to invest in new equipment
and tailor educational opportunities to meet that goal ,” said Dr . Randall Fletcher , EFSC ’ s Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and Chief Learning Officer .
• Others at the event included State Sen . Tom Wright and leaders from Airbus OneWeb Satellites , Space Florida , the Consortium and representatives from the participating companies .
• Among them was John Blankenship , Director of Manufacturing for Blue Origin Florida , which is investing $ 1 billion in a rocket manufacturing facility and campus at KSC .
• The company is targeting late 2022 for the maiden launch of its New Glenn rocket , a heavy-lift vehicle built at the spaceport that can carry astronauts to the International Space Station .
• “ With this program , the state of Florida is on the correct path to rebuilding our manufacturing industry and getting it back on top where it should be ,” said Blankenship .
• Patrick Thompson is one of the first five apprentices at Blue Origin . After the military , he moved from job to job but couldn ’ t find a good fit until Blue Origin gave him this opportunity .
• “ I went from not really having any pride in anything that I was doing , working in retail and all that . But now just being able to run a part and have it come out and be perfect and you actually did something with your hands . It ’ s amazing ,” he said .
• The 40-year old husband and father says it ’ s not about the money for him .
• “ I ’ m just looking forward to learning the craft itself , just to be able to say ‘ I ’ m a machinist ’ and say I ’ ve learned something and mastered it .”
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