Heartland Community College is celebrating the growing number of community partners and students involved in apprenticeship programs during National Apprenticeship Week.
Heartland will hold an Apprentice Signing Ceremony at 3:00 p.m., on Monday, November 13 in the Workforce Development Center on the Main Campus of the college in Normal (1500 W. Raab Rd, Normal).
The event will serve as the official State of Illinois kick-off for National Apprenticeship Week. Heartland’s newest class of apprentices will be joined by Keith Cornille (HCC President), Daniel Serota (Chair of the Apprenticeship Committee of the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board & VP of Government and Public Relations at Aon), Debra Cremeens-Risinger (Illinois State Director of U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship), Cameron Joost (Assistant Director of IL Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and Lavon Nelson (Director of Workforce Development, Illinois Community College Board).
During the event, student apprentices will be recognized along with businesses who are sponsoring their employees in the program.
An apprenticeship is a job that comes with substantial training and the development of transferable skills. Heartland’s registered apprenticeship programs are unique, flexible instruction programs combining job related courses with structured on-the-job learning experiences. The goal for the apprenticeship programs is to provide workers with advanced skill sets that meet the specific needs of employers.
The College currently has four U.S. Department of Labor Certified Apprenticeship programs, working with local employers Bridgestone, Carle Health, Ferrero, and Rivian. Apprentices in these programs complete an Associate of Applied Science Degree in an applied field of study.
