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Opportunity Knocks
September 4, 2024 | Michelle Te, IPC CommunityEstimated reading time: 1 minute
IPC member DETEX Corporation of New Braunfels, Texas, like so many similar companies, strives to cultivate a highly skilled workforce to meet the growing demand for electronics assembly professionals.
But also like many companies, DETEX, which engineers and manufactures security products, has struggled to hire qualified workers. Most employees are hired without certification or experience. Providing on-the-job training (OJT) without technical instruction has been met with limited success.
So, when DETEX Human Resources Manager Martha Rodriguez was introduced to Coreen Blaylock, IPC director of workforce partnerships, she quickly saw the potential and value of participating in an apprenticeship model that would provide an opportunity to upskill their employees onsite with little downtime.
Once the company adopted an apprenticeship model, Victoria Hawkins, IPC director of workforce grants and proposals, assisted DETEX in applying for and receiving $375 per apprentice, totaling $7,500 for their 20 apprentices and $10,000 for technical instruction. This spring, they were awaiting an award of $180,000 from the Texas Workforce Commission to pay for translation services, supplies, and CIT training.
“Victoria’s patience and expertise were crucial in my ability to complete the grant application in a timely manner to initiate our onsite apprenticeship program in early March 2024,” Martha says. “Victoria provided a detailed outline of the apprenticeship program and funding requirements and provided the required forms and step-by-step guidance. Her support was pivotal in completing the funding application, as I had not applied for this type of funding or apprentice program.”
In this interview, Martha explains DETEX’s involvement in the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), specifically tailored for the electronics assembler occupation.
Click here to read the full interview with Martha Rodriguez about DETEX’s Registered Apprenticeship Program specifically tailored for the electronics assembler occupation. This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of IPC Community.
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