Know Curious Kids? Take Them Here!
Date Posted: October 21, 2015
Posted In: News, Organizations, Workforce,
Does your child, or a child you know of, have an interest in problem solving, how things are made, technology, or hands-on creativity?
If so, the Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Program is holding an open house this Sunday at its training facility at 8300 Valcour in Affton from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In addition to children, K-12 educators and parents are encouraged to attend.
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will be working on woodworking merit badges, and an Eagle Scout candidate will be working on his project. The St. Louis Woodworkers Turning group will also be holding their meeting at the school, with lathe turning demonstrations. Facility tours are available.
President Obama has proclaimed the week of Nov 2-8, 2015 as National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). The Obama administration has placed high priority on Career and Technical Education (CTE) and registered apprenticeship programs as an alternative to the four-year college degree model.
Deputy U.S. Secretary of Labor Chris Chu recently visited the St. Louis carpenters center. Lu extolled the quality of the programs he had seen in the Carpenters’ training center.
He said that the Department of Labor has departed from its past model of “train and pray” that jobs will come, to one of developing apprentices with employers who indicate that they need workers. “Apprenticeship is the secret sauce,” he said.
He cited the successes of Germany and Switzerland, examples often cited by Carpenters District Council Director of Training and Workforce Development John Gaal, who led Lu on the tour. Gaal has been called on twice in the last six months to participate in White House programs on workforce development.
In Switzerland and Germany students are expected to choose at 16 whether they want to enter trade apprenticeship or continue on a college path, Lu said. The programs can include, “multiple on- and off-ramps” (transitions from work to school and back), to allow workers to further their education and advance throughout their careers embraces a wide variety of occupations.
For more information contact Ron Tierney, coordinator of the Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Program at 314.457. 8300, Ext. 5612 email, RTierney@CJTF.org .