Jacquelin Earley (pictured above) is the Workforce Development Coordinator at Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) in Shelton, Washington. SPI began working with AJAC in May 2022 through a partnership with the Elma School District to offer our Youth Apprenticeship program to high school juniors and seniors.
Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) is a third-generation family-owned forest products company based in Anderson, CA. Over the years, SPI has grown to span beyond California while simultaneously becoming a leader in vertically integrated lumber and window manufacturing, including opening a fourth site in Shelton, Washington comprised of a state-of-the-art sawmill and supporting fabrication shop.
Just as technological advancements in the manufacturing process increased our demand for skilled workers, we found that a generation of technicians and millwrights were retiring. One of SPI’s founding principles is that an employee might be hired for a job, but they can grow into a career. This is a belief and conviction that has served us well for over half a decade, but as fewer job seekers were entering manufacturing, we realized that we needed to do more.
SPI continues to value our “grow with us,” philosophy, while also acknowledging the need to proactively invest in our next generation of employees. This is why SPI became an employer partner with Elma High School and AJAC to provide youth apprenticeship opportunities in our fabrication division.
AJAC stepped in with expertise and professionalism supporting us through the process. The staff provided guidance and direction as we began to outline what our apprenticeship would look like. AJAC did all the work! They had the paperwork ready, knew the regulations, and even supplied training for our mentors working with the students. If we had questions, AJAC was there with answers.
As an employer, hiring the right individuals for our career pathways is important, and we retained that ability while still participating in the program. Each student candidate toured the worksite, met with staff to learn about the opportunities offered before interviewing. This program is competitive, and it was apparent that the students were determined to be successful. Our first year we hired and trained three apprentices and celebrated when they graduated high school.
