Collin College Kicks Off National Apprenticeship Week

Nov. 16, 2022 - Collin College and Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) have joined in a partnership through the U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship program. This is the first partnership for Collin College under that program.

A National Apprenticeship Week signing ceremony was held at Raytheon in McKinney on Nov. 14. Collin District President Dr. Neil Matkin, RI&S Vice President Jeff Place, and Texas State Director of Apprenticeship Lee Price endorsed the agreement of the apprenticeship in the company of elected officials and representatives.

The paid apprenticeship is scheduled to launch next year and will provide students with an opportunity to attend Collin in addition to acquiring on-the-job training at RI&S in the following labor roles: assembly technician, precision assembler, and electronics tester.

According to the Texas Workforce Commission, more than 800,000 touch labor jobs were unfilled in July 2021, RI&S stated in a press release. By developing a new pipeline of manufacturing talent in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the apprenticeship program will address a local skills gap and help continue to position North Texas as a manufacturing hub.

Dr. Matkin said Collin College is honored to be a part of this workforce pipeline that will benefit our students and support economic development in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.

Educating and training a highly skilled workforce is mission critical to support industry growth and success, and apprenticeships enhance and fortify the educational experience, Dr. Matkin said during the ceremony.

 

Collin College serves more than 57,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, and a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.