Truckee Meadows Community College apprentice program approved by the state

Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno was one of two educational institutions approved for a co-sponsored apprentice program in high-demand industries.

Members of the Nevada State Apprenticeship Council approved the applications for the program that will offer more than 600 apprenticeship opportunities across five industries including manufacturing, healthcare, and workforce development sectors.

TMCC will serve as a program sponsor with employers such as Panasonic, Renown Health, and others across the following occupations: Industrial Maintenance Mechanic, CNC Machine Operator, Production Operator, and Certified Nursing Assistant. Panasonic has committed to hiring 500 new apprentices.

Workforce Connections, located in Clark County, was the other statewide program to be approved.

“As we work to build on our state’s economic successes, we have to create opportunities for Nevadans to acquire the skills needed to be effective in the labor market,” said Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval. “I am proud of the dedicated work of the State Apprenticeship Council members and OWINN as they create a bridge between our students and the apprenticeship opportunities that will help Nevadans to meet the needs of employers statewide.”

Sandoval and the 2017 Legislature provided resources to align workforce and economic development strategies to provide employers with a 21st century workforce. One strategy was the creation of the Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation (OWINN) to serve as a coordinating agency and to scale necessary workforce strategies to reduce the skills gap.

“Registered Apprenticeships are an effective decades-old workforce development tool that can fill the needs for both employers and job seekers,” said Erin Hasty, State Director of Apprenticeship in the release.

Apprentices are provided structured on-the-job training and mentoring, while also being compensated under a progressive, merit-based, earn-as-you-learn wage system.

“By 2024, Nevada will have more than 600,000 available jobs, with approximately half of these jobs being newly created,” said Manny Lamarre, Executive Director of OWINN said a press release. “With the current efforts underway in K-12, higher education and the publicly funded workforce system, Nevada is on the right track to not only reduce the skills gap, but to ensure Nevadans have on-ramps to high-quality careers.”