Hands-On Learning
Apprenticeship Programs Gain Popularity in Manufacturing World
As the manufacturing landscape continues to evolve and grow along with technological advancements, the demand for skilled labor has never been greater; as a result, traditional hiring methods are proving increasingly insufficient.
Some Minnesota-based employers, including Dynamic Group and Toro, have had to get creative over the past few years to meet workforce challenges. One time- tested approach that’s making a comeback is the apprenticeship model, where employees gain further education while they’re already on the job.
Increasing Connection
Brian Kalina, Director of Tooling Operations at Dynamic’s Foley facility, located in Coon Rapids, says the apprenticeship program has improved the way their hiring process works overall by prioritizing hands-on experience over formal education alone — and providing pathways for young professionals to get more of both.
“Whereas we used to hire students who had just graduated a two-year program, now, we’re focused on hiring students who are already engaged in school, perhaps connecting them with grants and career opportunities with us,” Kalina said. “Our role has changed from just being managers, to being teachers and advisors as they navigate the beginnings of their careers.”
Apprentices at Dynamic Group don’t just learn how to do one aspect of manufacturing. Instead, they have the opportunity to move through all aspects of injection mold building, from CNC milling, turning and grinding to wire and sinker EDM and more. Although most will end up specializing in one area eventually, Kalina said, they want them to come away from the program with not only the necessary skill set to do their future job well, but more importantly, a high level of respect for all areas of the manufacturing process.
“We want them to walk away saying, ‘I understand what it means to work in that area, I know how to use that equipment and the potential pitfalls or mistakes that can happen, and I know how to be a better customer for those departments in the future,” Kalina said. “We also want them to recognize that we're all in this together, mistakes happen, and we're going to identify problems and move forward together.”
Elizabeth Lasanen, HR Manager at Dynamic Group, says one of the highlights of their apprenticeship program is the connection it builds between generations, and between manufacturers with different interests and backgrounds. In fact, providing mentorship to the next generation is one of the skills apprentices are scored on.
“That’s how you really ‘graduate’ from the program — you get to a point where you’ve completed all of this training, and now you can train someone else on exactly how to do what you just learned how to do,” Lasanen said. “In this way, we’ve created a pipeline of really strong candidates, not just for Dynamic Group, but for our industry as a whole. If they decide to move on to another opportunity, we also celebrate that, because we know we’ve continued to fuel the growth of the industry with really great tool makers.”
Ben Mueller, an Edina native and current apprentice with Dynamic Group, has benefitted firsthand from the inter- generational mentorship that the program tries to foster. He cites Jeff Sabel, lead toolmaker at Dynamic Group, as one of his greatest resources during his time with the organization.
“Sometimes toolmakers have a hard time communicating with apprentices because so much of what they know to do is so second nature they have a hard time explaining it with words,” Mueller said. “Jeff doesn't have that difficulty. His willingness to sit down with me and work through things when I'm uncertain has had a really tremendous impact on how I view a good leader. I strive to offer the same patience and communication with newer apprentices who come to me with questions that he afforded me [the answers to].”
Mueller is also confident that Dynamic’s program will get him to the next step in his career.
“Dynamic has always been good about presenting me with opportunities to fine tune my skills, and we have a clear timeline to the end of my apprenticeship now,” said Mueller. “I'm very confident that this program will get me there.”
Another Approach
Toro, a Bloomington-based outdoor environment solutions manufacturer, structures their apprenticeship program a little differently. Rather than finding students and training them on how to work at their organization, Toro’s apprentices are already current employees, said Eric Taylor, Training Coordinator.
Employees who want to further their job-related education can interview and enter a bidding system to be selected as an apprentice. Once they’re selected, they complete 8,000 hours of training, which typically takes a total of four years to complete.
Throughout that time, apprentices continue to work at Toro, but they also add new skills to their resumes, allowing a multitude of opportunities for advancement.
“We've had people start in a really entry level position with no formal educational requirements, and then work their way up to product development where they’re working on prototypes and fabricating, welding, painting,” Taylor said. “This program helps create a clearer path for people to get where they want to be.”
Right now, there are five apprentices in Toro’s program, with a total of 51 “Journey workers” who have completed it already. Employees start the apprenticeship at the base salary for the classification they work in, and if it’s determined that they’re on-track to meet education and hour requirements, they receive a raise in addition to the yearly raise all employees receive. Mark Ehmke is one stand-out Toro employee and current apprentice who Taylor says “just has that hunger to learn.” Ehmke, in the first year of his program, has already gone above and beyond the credit requirements for his program, which Taylor says is already extensive.
“It seems like the program attracts really hard workers like that, who aren’t satisfied with just coming in to work and doing a job,” Taylor said. “They tend to be really creative and like the more hands- on roles, and want to move up to those higher-skilled positions but just need the education to get there.”
Ehmke, a LeCenter native who currently lives in Montgomery, Minnesota, worked as an electrician for many years before shifting gears and entering the manufacturing world.
After he started at Toro, he knew he wanted to continue advancing his career. The apprenticeship program has made opportunities for advancement seem achievable, Ehmke said, with every next step clearly laid out.
“The whole program is really well- structured, and I never question how many credits I need or what the next step will be,” Ehmke said. “That makes the overall experience amazing, because you're not in limbo, and you always know what you have to do in order to achieve the next thing.”
Ehmke has had such a good experience with Toro that he hopes to stay with the company for the remainder of his career.
“Being part of this program makes you want to achieve even more goals, and I think it’s contagious to other members of the team when they see what we’re working on,” Ehmke said. “It makes people want to do even better at their daily job, which in turns makes us work better as a company.”
Creating a Culture Shift
For Kalina, seeing the next generation of talent rise up and mentor the apprentices who come after them is one of the most rewarding aspects of having a program like the one Dynamic has.
“Seeing the level of pride that these apprentices have and are able to turn around and share that with those who come after them gives a lot of hope to those of us who are further along in our careers for the future of this industry,” Kalina said. “That’s meant a lot as well, and it’s created a culture shift where we’re more excited to share what we know, to teach and learn from one another.”
Starting an Apprenticeship Program
Both Kalina and Taylor say that offering an apprenticeship isn’t overly complicated — but it does require a degree of intentionality for what your organization would like to gain from a similar program.
To start building your own program, visit apprenticeship.gov or reach out to workforce@mpma.com for support from MPMA with Drive for Five resources.
October 18, 2024
