Ithaca Area Economic Development is accepting applications for a free pre-apprenticeship program designed to prepare participants for advanced manufacturing careers.
The next Advance 2 Apprenticeship cohort will run from Aug. 17 through Sept. 16 at Tompkins Cortland Community College. Applications are due Aug. 3.
Classes will meet from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Participants will receive hands-on technical training, workforce-readiness instruction and connections to local manufacturing employers.
The program includes support for transportation, child care and work supplies, along with milestone incentives. Graduates are guaranteed interviews with participating employers.
Ithaca Area Economic Development is offering the program with Tompkins Cortland Community College and the Manufacturers Talent Institute, the talent-development arm of MACNY, The Manufacturers Association. The Alliance for Manufacturing and Technology will provide technical training.
The program is intended to help participants enter registered apprenticeships or entry-level manufacturing jobs while helping local employers build a workforce pipeline.
The Direct to Work pilot is supported by a federal Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities grant. Advance 2 Apprenticeship also receives funding from Empire State Development and the NSF Energy Storage Engine in Upstate New York.
Applications are available at ithacaareaed.org/direct-to-work.
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