TMCC partnered with Tesla and JOIN, Inc. to encourage local businesses to create apprenticeship programs that can answer the need for the skilled jobs gap.
There has been a call to action in the community, asking businesses to create Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs as a way to retain a skilled pipeline of workers. Last week, that call was answered at an event hosted at TMCC's William N. Pennington Applied Technology Center, where Tesla shared with a group of over 25 employers how apprenticeship has helped to expand Tesla’s skilled workforce. “Tesla has seen exceptional work-quality from the apprentices at Gigafactory 1, combined with reduced turnover and strong work competency,” said Chris Reilly, Workforce Development and Education Lead at Tesla. “We want to encourage other businesses to use apprenticeship as a way to build their own talent.”
Having registered over 50 apprentices to date, Tesla announced its own commitment by sharing a plan to register 50-60 apprentices annually via the partnership. Nevada is expected to have 630,000 open jobs and a shortage of 28,000 middle-skilled workers by 2024. Many businesses are already feeling the pinch of not having enough qualified individuals to maintain a full workforce.
Highlighted at the event was Tesla’s partnership with TMCC, which has responsibility for the apprenticeship’s management and administration. As the RA sponsor, and with the services of JOIN Inc. Training Nevadans for Careers, TMCC provides the related technical instruction and supportive services to the Tesla apprentices, including academic support, transition assistance, life skills and career coaching.
“There are over 1,000 “apprentice-able” occupations in areas including advanced manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, technology and many others,” said Cheryl Olson, Director of Nevada’s Apprenticeship Project at TMCC.
“JOIN Inc. is thrilled to be a part of this program,” said Denise Castle, CEO. “JOIN’s mission is to end the cycle of poverty and RA is a high-quality workforce development tool that provides apprentices with great employment and academic opportunities to really put them on a path of self-sufficiency.”
For more information about Nevada's Apprenticeship Project at TMCC, contact Cheryl Olson at 775-856-5304.