Industrial Manufacturing Technician occupation

Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeships

Recruit, Train, and Retain Your Talent Pipeline

Become an Employer Partner

Launch Your Career as an AJAC Apprentice

Become a Registered Apprentice

Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeships

Creating the Pacific Northwest's next generation of workforce training solutions.

Recruit, Train, and Retain Your Talent Pipeline

Launch Your Career as an AJAC Apprentice

Washington State map of AJAC employers

Our Footprint

400
+
Apprentices
300
+
Employers
18+
Training Locations

AJAC works across the Pacific Northwest in a variety of advanced manufacturing industries—partnering with employers, colleges, school districts, community-based organizations, and workforce development centers to bring apprenticeships to the 21st century.

AJAC offers a method for transferring the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills between generations of the workforce, thus promoting the value of contributing to the next generation.

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What is AJAC training?

Who Is AJAC?

AJAC is an industry-driven apprenticeship organization, founded on the belief that mastery occurs on the job. Through pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship and adult apprenticeship, all people have the opportunity to earn competitive wages, find meaningful and fulfilling work, and pursue lifelong learning.

We use a variety of training models to capture the fundamental skills required across many industries—matching your employment needs from Entry-Level through highly skilled Journey-Level workers.

With advancements in machinery and automation, we address the needs across assembly, production, processing, machine automation, machine operations and maintenance; from raw materials whether they are grown or mined, to finished goods.

Why Choose AJAC

Meet Our 300+ Partnering Employers

AJAC partners with 300+ advanced manufacturing companies across Washington State to offer a variety of training opportunities for their employees. 93% of each apprenticeship program is spent developing skills on-the-job at one of these participating employers.

Acro Machining Inc.
Aero Plastics Inc.
American Structures & Design
AR Aviation Services Logo
Auto Zone
Buyken Metal Products
Cadence Aerospace PMW Operations
Commerical Aircraft Interiors
Cubcrafters
Food processing apprentice employer
Everett Engineering Inc.
Fatigue Technology
Joyson Safety Systems
IPL Macro
Magic Metals: Precision Metal Fabrication
New Tech Industries, Mukilteo, WA
Out of the Box Manufacturing
Peregrine Manufacturing
Pexco Aerospace
Sealect Plastics
AMT Senior Aerospace
SGL Carbon
Stoke Space Technologies
TSL: Thermoforming Systems LLC
Tool Gauge
Toolcraft
Food processing apprentice employer
Polymer Industries
Agri Beef Food processing apprentice employer
Work Force Development Center
Food processing apprentice employer
AJAC Logo | Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeships

Key Industries We Serve

Our Industry Experience
Automation and machinery industry apprentice training
Automation & Machinery
Space Exploration industry training
Space
Apprenticeship for aerospace defense industries
Aerospace & Defense
Computer Electronics industries apprenticeship
Computer Electronics
Apprenticeships for chemical industries
Chemicals & Plastics
Apprenticeships for the medical industry
Medical
Apprenticeships for the clean energy industry
Clean Energy
Apprenticeships for the food and beverage industry
Food & Beverage
Apprenticeships for the transportation and logistics industries
Transportation & Logistics
Apprenticeships for the wood and paper industries
Wood & Paper
Maritime industry apprenticeships
Maritime Manufacturing

Our Programs & Occupations

AJAC provides apprenticeship training for 13 high-growth, in-demand apprenticeship occupations to serve high school students and adults across Washington State.

From machining and fabrication to maintenance and automation, AJAC’s programs including 93% paid on-the-job training and 7% college-level classroom instruction.

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10 Benefits of Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship is a proven method of workforce training that focuses on filling the skills gap between our most highly skilled tradespeople and the next generation.

It combines supervised on-the-job training with college-level classroom instruction, enabling apprentices to earn while they learn and employers to increase their workforce skills without disrupting production.

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AJAC Manufacturing Academy

The Manufacturing Academy, AJAC's registered Pre-Apprenticeship program, offers a solid foundational career pathway into advanced manufacturing apprenticeship opportunities. Our programs are currently offered online and in-person across Washington State.

AJAC operates the Manufacturing Academy at no-cost through grant funding that focuses on encouraging women, people of color, displaced workers, and low-income individuals to develop manufacturing skills and obtain living wage jobs.

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Manufacturing Academy

Youth apprenticeships

AJAC's Youth Apprenticeship programs are designed for high school juniors and seniors to develop career-ready skills in the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries.

These apprenticeship programs combine paid on-the-job training at an AJAC employer and college-level classroom instruction which can lead to a high school diploma, journey-level card and short-term college certificate.

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Youth Apprenticeship

Adult apprenticeships

As an adult apprentice, you work at a full-time job while training with a mentor and earning wages + benefits. In addition, you attend classes typically one night a week at a local community or technical college to learn the theory behind the training.

Within two to five years, you earn a Journey-Level Certificate, enabling you to work anywhere in the U.S. as a master tradesperson.

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Adult Apprenticeship

Steps To Becoming an Apprenticeship Partner

AJAC works as your partner in moving the following steps to adoption. From consulting on OJT design, mentorship training, to hiring qualified adults and local youth—AJAC staff will guide you through this process.

 

 

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Get buy-in from leadership and supervisors to launch an AJAC apprenticeship at your company.
Sign a Training Agent agreement and become an official apprenticeship training provider.
Identify an apprenticeship coordinator to be the main point-of-contact for all apprenticeship-related activities
With AJAC's guidance, develop internal policies to recruit, train, and support your apprentices.
Identify the journey-level workers who will train the apprentices on-the-job.
Recruit your employees who want to advance their careers and skill up through apprenticeship.

Steps To Becoming an Apprenticeship Provider

AJAC works as your partner in moving the following steps to adoption. From consulting on OJT design, mentorship training, to hiring qualified adults and local youth–AJAC staff will guide you through this process.

 

 

Our Mission. Their Story.

The success of our organization will always be more than the programs we develop. Below are stories of the individuals and companies we serve, and the inspiring journey they have taken to better their lives, their community, and their industry.

 

 

Why Choose AJAC

AJAC's Value Add

Across Washington State, advanced manufacturing employers are struggling to find new employees to fill the shoes of those leaving the workforce. AJAC supports our participating employers with innovative signature trainings, cutting-edge industry-proven curriculum and highly effective trained instructors.

Why Choose AJAC
How AJAC Creates a Skilled Workforce through Apprenticeship training

How AJAC Creates A Skilled Workforce

As Washington’s largest non-profit advanced manufacturing training organization, AJAC has broad insight and access to diverse candidate pools. Ranging from High School Career & Technical Education (CTE) to worker/veteran retraining.

AJAC partners with over 300 employers to equip candidates with core industry skills to match trends impacting the labor market. You’ll gain expert guidance to help pair you with the best-suited candidates for your unique employment openings.

2020-2021 Annual Report