July 20, 2021
AJAC Discusses Apprenticeships with PNAA & Tool GaugeThe Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA) invited AJAC and Tool Gauge to their Factory Friday Tour event to discuss workforce training solutions including registered apprenticeship programs for advanced manufacturing. The…
Read MoreMay 7, 2021
2021 Youth Apprenticeship Info SessionTracey Turcotte, AJAC’s Youth Apprenticeship Manager held an information session for prospective Youth Apprentices interested in joining our programs for the 2021-2022 school year. AJAC currently operates two registered…
Read MoreApril 2, 2021
Youth Apprenticeship Spokane | WEMCO, Inc.Meet Connor Snell, a Production Technician (Youth Apprentice) through the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC). Connor launched his career in manufacturing after receiving an offer from WEMCO, Inc., a Spokane-based…
Read MoreFebruary 26, 2021
AJAC Youth Apprentice Featured in STEM NewsletterHector Martinez enrolled in AJAC’s two-year Automation Technician (Youth) Apprenticeship program in 2019 after receiving an offer from Yakima Chief Hops. Hector went to Toppenish High School and was also…
Read MoreFebruary 23, 2021
AJAC Featured in Aspen Institute Work-Based Learning ReportAmerica’s youngest workers, particularly young adults of color, are facing the most dire employment prospects since the Great Depression. As our nation looks toward recovery, and policymakers and investors seek…
Read MoreOctober 2, 2020
Becoming A Youth Apprentice in a Small TownMeet Noah Retallic, a 17 year-old Automation Technician Youth Apprentice through the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC). Noah enrolled in the Youth Apprenticeship in Spring 2020 and immediately began his…
Read MoreMay 15, 2020
Youth Apprenticeship Webinars | AJACAJAC hosted two Youth Apprenticeship Webinars to better connect students, parents, and counselors with our next cohorts kicking off Summer 2020. During the webinars we discuss the following: program benefits,…
Read MoreFebruary 26, 2020
Our Mission. Their Story.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…
Read MoreJuly 11, 2019
2019 Washington Youth Apprenticeship Signing DayOn 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…
Read MoreJune 6, 2019
An Ordinary Teenager in an Extraordinary ApprenticeshipIt’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…
Read MoreFebruary 26, 2019
AJAC Jumpstarts Automotive Youth Apprenticeship ProgramOver 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…
Read MoreFebruary 18, 2019
AJAC Youth Apprenticeship: Breaking the MoldNew Video Provides a Cinematic Look at Registered Youth Apprenticeship in Washington State. SEATTLE, WA-Washington State Governor Jay Inslee calls it the “supply train for the supply chain”. Aerospace and…
Read MoreOctober 26, 2018
Governor Inslee Visits Cadence Aerospace & Youth ApprenticesDuring a private meeting at Cadence Aerospace, Governor Inslee and his staff met with representatives from the aerospace manufacturer, AJAC and current Youth Apprentices to discuss how the registered Youth…
Read MoreJuly 3, 2018
2018 Youth Apprenticeship Signing Day CeremonyOn June 27, 2018, 67 newly registered Youth Apprentices signed their letter of agreement signifying a commitment to work in the aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries through the Aerospace Joint…
Read MoreMay 7, 2018
One Year In, AJAC Youth Apprentices Set To Graduate This JuneSeth Hamilton was nearing his 17th birthday and knew he wasn’t going to college. His after-high-school plans did not involve a four-year institution. Rising student loans and lack of finances…
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2018
Focus Shifts to Broadening Youth Apprenticeships During 2018 Governor’s Youth Apprenticeship SummitApprenticeships are not an alternative to higher education. It is higher education. This sentiment rang loud and true during the 2018 Governor’s Youth Apprenticeship Summit, which in its second year,…
Read MoreJanuary 10, 2018
Governor Inslee Talks Youth Apprenticeship During ‘State of the State’ AddressGovernor Inslee delivered his annual State of the State Address to the Washington State Senate and the State House of Representatives on January 9, 2018. During his speech, Governor Inslee…
Read MoreJanuary 9, 2018
New State Audit Report Emphasizes High School CTE Courses with High-Growth IndustriesA new report performance audit for Washington State emphasizes the state’s need to better align high-growth, high-demand occupations with career and technical education (CTE) courses currently offered in high school.…
Read MoreDecember 12, 2017
Youth Apprenticeship: The Journey BeginsOn October 16, 2017, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee met with the partners, community organizations and local-area employers to discuss how the first year of Youth Apprenticeship has gone. The…
Read MoreNovember 29, 2017
Gensco MFG Day 2017 (Video)On October 6, 2017, students from the Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) toured Gensco, Inc. as part of Manufacturing Day. Manufacturing Day is a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire…
Read MoreOctober 12, 2017
Manufacturing Day 2017: Opening Doors for the Next GenerationWhat does it mean to work in manufacturing? For some, they see it as an industry booming with innovative ideas and state-of-the-art technology. For others, they see engineers and machinists…
Read MoreJuly 7, 2017
Youth Apprenticeship Webinar & PowerPointWashington STEM, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) and AJAC gave a joint presentation on all-things Youth Apprenticeship during a live webinar on June 26, 2017. Josie Bryan…
Read MoreJune 29, 2017
Manufacturing is STEM: Providing Career Connected LearningIn partnership with the Office of the Governor, the Workforce Board, WSU Extension, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington STEM traveled across the state to explore…
Read MoreMay 3, 2017
Yakima Ushers In First Youth ApprenticesYakima’s West Valley High School was given the baton last week to launch their first AJAC Youth Apprenticeship program. High school juniors Trevor Mackey, Osborne Rogers, and Bradley Ethier individually…
Read MoreApril 10, 2017
Tacoma Celebrates First High School Apprentices During National Signing DayAll eyes were on Pacific Machine last week as the city of Tacoma ushered in a new era of career-connected learning. The decade-old mindset of ‘every student should attend a…
Read MoreMarch 13, 2017
AJAC’s Youth Apprenticeship Featured on City of Tacoma’s ‘CityLine’ TV ShowAJAC’s Youth Apprenticeship program continues to garner attention across our region as the first group of students prepare to begin their apprenticeship in high school. Seth Hamilton, one of our…
Read MoreFebruary 16, 2017
PNAA Selects AJAC for “Inspire Award”AJAC was honored to receive PNAA’s “Inspire” award during the annual Aerospace Conference in Lynnwood, Washington. AJAC’s Executive Director, Lynn Strickland accepted the award during the Aerospace Excellence Awards Banquet.…
Read MoreJanuary 26, 2017
KBTC-TV to Feature AJAC and Youth ApprenticeshipFrom left to right: Jody Robbins (L&I), Ron Langrel (Bates Technical College), Lynn Strickland (AJAC), John Altman (Governor’s Office) and Tom Layson (KBTC) The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) was…
Read MoreJanuary 23, 2017
Washington State Approves Governor Inslee’s Youth Apprenticeship ProgramFrom left to right: John Page from Tacoma Public School, Kristi Grassman, AJAC, Lynn Strickland, AJAC, Jesse Cote from IAM 751 and Sandra Husbands, L&I at the Washington Apprenticeship Training Council…
Read MoreNovember 4, 2016
Washington State to Launch First-Ever Youth Apprenticeship Program For High-Demand Industries(From left to right) Governor Jay Inslee, Lynn Strickland and Jesse Milbrath Over the last two years, the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, the…
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