Hudson County Community College and Eastern Millwork, Inc., a high-end, automated woodwork manufacturing and installation company, have created an apprenticeship program to address the challenge of finding skilled workers.
Apprentices with the EMI-HCCC Holz Technik program receive a tuition-free college education, a $24,500 starting salary with merit raises, and full benefits including health insurance, 401K profit sharing, and vacations/holidays. By the end of the fifth year, apprentices receive their Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Advanced Manufacturing from HCCC, earn their bachelor’s degree in Technical Studies from Thomas Edison State University, and receive a salary of $70,000, and have no college debt.
Amber Gutierrez, a Union City High School graduate and a member of the Holz Technik Academy Class of 2024, said “I knew that once I graduated high school my focus would be taking care of myself. This opportunity is giving me the ability to do that.”
Praised by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy as an example of the blueprint for the Garden State’s economic future, the federally registered EMI-HCCC Holz Technik apprenticeship program’s earn-while-you-learn structure is modeled on proven European forms of education. Qualified high school students who are hired as apprentices each year split their time between practical, on-the-job experience and college coursework.
Eastern Millwork prides itself on employing technological innovation to challenge the belief that high-quality woodworking can only be produced by hand. It has worked on projects ranging from Rose Hall at Lincoln Center to Rockefeller University.
Applications for the HCCC-EMI education-apprenticeship program will be accepted until April 15. Contact Al Williams at 201-360-4255 or awilliams@hccc.edu for more information.