Midland, Michigan, October 2015 – Greater Michigan Construction Academy (GMCA) will be joining other institutions and companies around the country in honoring the hard working men and women of the country by celebrating National Apprenticeship Week; November 2-8, 2015
GMCA trains more than 300 students annually who work for area construction companies and keep the state growing through maintenance projects within existing businesses and industry and the construction of facilities for new and expanding ones.
The Greater Michigan Construction Academy itself has been growing by leaps and bounds recently through the support of area foundations like the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation and the Midland Area Community Foundation providing funds for a newly built welding lab and technology improvements at its Midland training location. The grants will help the academy stay on the apprenticeship cutting edge in the skilled trades, an edge sharpened largely thanks to the leadership of the labor movement.
Apprenticeships are a particularly effective way to create career pathways with upward mobility and strong earning potential. Because apprentices receive a paycheck, it’s a great option for those with families to support, including many veterans.
Clearly, apprenticeships are a win-win: They provide workers with sturdy rungs on that ladder of opportunity and employers with the skilled workers they need to grow their businesses. And yet in America, they’ve traditionally been an undervalued and underutilized tool in our nation’s workforce development arsenal. The United States has only 360,000 apprentices, while Germany, one-quarter of our size in population and a prominent competitor in the global marketplace, has more than 1.8 million apprentices. Our competition is investing in apprenticeships at nearly six times the rate we are.
The average starting salary upon graduation is $50,000. An apprentice will earn an average of $300,000 more in wages and benefits over his or her career than peers who haven’t apprenticed. Apprenticeship offers a smooth pathway to the middle class and to a college degree for those who wish to continue their education and training.
The Greater Michigan Construction Academy will be conducting facility tours throughout the week and inviting parents, students and employers to stop in and see the strides being made right here in the Great Lakes Bay Region to increase and improve our skilled trades workforce!
*statistical sources:blog.dol.gov
For more information on pre-requisites and class fees contact GMCA at (989) 832-8879, sdavis@gmca.edu or visit our web site at www.gmca.edu
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GMCA’s mission is to Educate thru collaboration of the Construction Industry. Our Membership, Employees, and Communities; to develop Professional Workplace Competencies and Skills while
promoting the Construction Industry as a Career Choice. For more information contact us at 989.832.8879 or sdavis@gmca.edu