Category: blog

July 14, 2022

February 28, 2022

Last week, Congresswoman Dr. Kim Schrier contacted AJAC to learn more about our training programs in the 8th congressional district. She wanted an opportunity to meet apprentices who have excelled…

December 8, 2021

Nearly two years ago before the start of the pandemic, AJAC held its last in-person employer roundtable in Snohomish County. Since then, a dramatic shift in workforce development and skill…

November 9, 2021

  AJAC is thrilled to announce we are the recipients of $1.3 million in grant funding through the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ “Aerospace Workforce Development Expansion” Grant.…

July 19, 2021

Beginning in 2014, AJAC partnered with the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to provide a 12-week pre-apprenticeship training to incarcerated young men living in a DCYF transitional…

February 5, 2021

  AJAC’s Regional Program Manager, Heather Collins, and Manufacturing Academy instructor, Stephen Matczak, sat down with Michelle Smith from the South Central Workforce Council to talk about AJAC’s exciting new apprenticeship…

January 21, 2021

The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) is excited to offer a new CNC Programmer Apprenticeship this spring! This program combines on-the-job training (OJT) with evening classes one night a week. AJAC…

December 22, 2020

What was the last experience that made you a stronger person? Making the move back to Seattle was something that made me a stronger person.  Moving and going through a…

December 7, 2020

What will your new role at AJAC include?  My role here at AJAC will be teaching the Manufacturing Academy pre-apprenticeship program. I will be providing instructional training for individuals that…

November 19, 2020

No-cost training to launch this spring to upskill machine operators through registered apprenticeship YAKIMA, WA-November 19, 2020 – Over the next 10 years, 596 food-processing employees across Washington State will…

November 17, 2020

Maximize Your Mentoring Effectiveness Having a structured mentorship system is a key component of an effective workforce development strategy. Never has this been more critical than today, with the vast…

November 12, 2020

To celebrate National Apprenticeship Week 2020, AJAC sat down with former machinist graduate, Evan Thomas, for a candid interview about his apprenticeship experience. Our 24-minute conversation covered a wide variety…

July 28, 2020

The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC), Kent Valley Economic Development, City of Kent, Port of Seattle, and Green River College have partnered to support Kent manufacturers and their employees during…

June 19, 2020

AJAC’s annual graduation ceremony at the Museum of Flight was postponed this year due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Although we will celebrate all of our graduates during the 2021…

May 28, 2020

Meet Rachel Bertapelle, one of 19 AJAC Industrial Maintenance Technician apprentices at Agri Beef in Toppenish, Washington. Rachel enrolled in AJAC’s 8,000 hour program this past winter and is now…

May 27, 2020

New Lost-Cost, Short-Term Trainings From AJAC AJAC is excited to announce this July we will offer three consecutive short-term trainings at our Advanced Manufacturing Prep Training Center in Kent, Washington.…

April 14, 2020

During these unprecedented times, AJAC understands the disruption this crisis has caused in many lives.  Our top priority is to ensure apprentices can continue to learn and instructors are able…

February 26, 2020

Meet LaDante Weems—a formerly incarcerated youth and now graduate of the AJAC Juvenile Rehabilitation Manufacturing Academy program—tells his story on becoming a full-time employee at Tech Marine. We at AJAC…

January 31, 2020

AJAC is launching a new Manufacturing Academy program in Federal Way through a partnership with the Federal Way Boys & Girls Club, Truman High School and a grant from Aspen…

December 12, 2019

Meet Heather Collins, AJAC new Regional Program Manager for central Washington State. Heather comes to AJAC with a breadth of experience in program and business development including work in the…

December 10, 2019

Selene Castro is no stranger to adversity. She has been fighting an uphill battle for years and while some would crumble under the pressure, it is has left her strong…

November 5, 2019

Below are the new grants AJAC has been awarded over the last 3 months and the partnerships we have forged with local and national organizations. City of Seattle Office of…

October 31, 2019

On October 24th, Seattle Business Magazine hosted an event honoring 15 visionary enterprises. AJAC (Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee) was one of the establishments honored and wound up taking home the…

October 25, 2019

  Christian Gray has never been a person who enjoys wasting his time. Christian has always felt mature. He thrived at homeschooling because his mom would focus more on the…

October 25, 2019

The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) recently partnered with the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP) on a multi-state effort to encourage more women to enter into technical apprenticeship programs. WRTP…

October 8, 2019

Take a tour of Machinist Inc in Seattle, Washington as the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) and Hazen High School (Renton School District) celebrate National Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) 2019.…

September 23, 2019

The Wells Fargo Foundation, established in the U.S. as a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 1980, is the company’s primary philanthropic funding arm. In 2018, the foundation donated nearly half…

July 11, 2019

On June 28, 2019, nearly 100 newly registered Youth Apprentices from across Washington State celebrated the beginning of their apprenticeship at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington. Signing Day brought…

June 18, 2019

On June 14, 2019, the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee graduated 79 registered apprentices representing 48 companies from across Washington State. The apprentices were joined by their family, friends, and colleagues…

June 6, 2019

It’s six in the morning at Tool Gauge, a Tacoma, Washington manufacturer that creates complex, high-quality plastic and metal parts and assemblies for the global aerospace industry. In walks a…

March 28, 2019

The South Central Workforce Council recently interviewed AJAC’s Director of Youth Apprenticeship, Bri Durham for their podcast “South Central Works.” In the podcast, Bri touches on how AJAC’s apprenticeship program…

February 26, 2019

Over the last year, the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee has partnered with the Northwest Automotive Service Association and Independent Technicians Automotive Committee (ITAC) to council and guide their new General…