ABB partners with University of Arkansas-Fort Smith to introduce Youth Apprenticeship Program for advanced manufacturing

June 14, 2019 - The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith has partnered with ABB to introduce the first Youth Apprenticeship Program for advanced manufacturing in the state of Arkansas. The collaborative program was launched at the Fort Smith Area Chamber of Commerce Signing Day on May 3 when nine students from six local high schools officially joined ABB as apprentices.
The May event saw 31 students from UAFS and regional high schools publicly commit to Fort Smith business, including ABB, ArcBest, Baptist-Fort Smith, Mercy-Fort Smith, SSI Design-Build Constructors and more.
Fort Smith has seen an increased need for skilled workers in advanced manufacturing, information technologies and healthcare reaching near critical need. The ABB Youth Apprenticeship Program is one element in this community-led effort to bringing together business, economic development, higher education and k-12 education to establish a workforce development model that creates a talent pipeline for existing and future businesses in the region.
The ABB Youth Apprenticeship Program targets rising high school juniors and seniors ages 16-18 who are enrolled in advanced manufacturing career and technical education programs at the university. Once they are accepted into the program, they will work full time for ABB over the summer and part time during the school year while attending high school and earning technical concurrent college credit.

Check out our free e-newsletters
to read more great articles.
MORE INDUSTRY NEWS
-
Seeq announces achievement of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Industrial Software Competency status
To receive the AWS Industrial Software Competency designation, APN Partners undergo rigorous AWS technical validation related to industry specific...
-
Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol and Callisto Integration announce strategic partnership
Pepperl+Fuchs Comtrol and Callisto work with each manufacturing customer to deliver initial solutions that have tangible results, and then collect...
-
ST Robotics providing hands-on robotics training to university students
More than 30 other educational institutions have benefited from ST Robotics’ systems. These include: MIT, Cambridge University, Ecole Nationale...
-
Senet announces partnership with Zenseio
Senet has certified the Zenseio LSMP2 - Professional Multi-purpose Telemetry Station, providing the agriculture market with a pre-integrated,...
-
Arena Solutions announces strategic partnership with PRG
This deepened strategic partnership expands PRG’s services for Arena customers that desire assistance or simply have limited internal resources....
RELATED
-
Augmented Intelligence
By Mark Howard, EU Automation
Augmented intelligence is one of the few technologies named on the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies,... -
PLC Programming Preference Survey: Insights & User Comments
By Bill Lydon, Automation.com
The PLCopen organization and Automation.com conducted a joint survey of PLC programming preferences. Here are some... -
ODVA announces enhancements to EtherNet/IP Specification
The published enhancements to The EtherNet/IP Specification outline integration of NAMUR NE 107 diagnostics for process automation into CIP...
-
Robots or Cobots: Which to Choose?
By Jonathan Wilkins, EU Automation
Today’s plant managers are faced with a dearth of automation technologies but it’s not always obvious what... -
IDTechEx Report: Autonomous cars could accout for 4 trillion miles of road travel by 2040
IDTechEx has recently seen competitors joining hands and forming some unlikely-sounding alliances to reduce the cost of autonomous driving...