South Piedmont recruiting machining apprentices

WADESBORO — South Piedmont has partnered with Columbus McKinnon in Wadesboro to recruit 20 machining apprentices who will be full-time employees earning $17 an hour while they are being trained.

The starting pay is $17 but Columbus McKinnon plans for two raises during the first year. Following the completion of the apprenticeship, the employees will likely work a second shift with opportunities available at their Wadesboro facility and/or their Charlotte facility.

This type of partnership is addressing the skilled labor shortages in North Carolina. South Piedmont is taking an employer-led approach to build talent pipelines aligned to business and industry needs by working with over 300 different companies across many industries including aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and heavy equipment.

South Piedmont’s newest partner, Columbus McKinnon, machines and assembles industrial cranes for a variety of top brands.

“We are fortunate to have a partnership with great trainers and educators from South Piedmont,” said HR Talent Advisor at Columbus McKinnon, Madeline Mullins. “South Piedmont’s training facility is world-class. The apprenticeship model developed to help with our talent challenges is absolutely phenomenal and will produce some of the best, well-educated machinists who will help us sustain and grow our operations in the future.”

Half of North Carolina’s employers need more skilled employees, 67% of jobs will require high-quality credentials/postsecondary degrees by 2030, and only 49% of 25 – 49-year-olds have completed the necessary education.

“We see SPCC as the main talent supply channel for our businesses,” said Karla Shields, Associate Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development at South Piedmont. “This is a great opportunity for students to be full-time employees with benefits while they are learning at South Piedmont.”

The year-long apprenticeship will begin on January 4 and the first 8-week boot camp will start on January 10. Information sessions are underway and offered through December.

To learn more and register for an information session visit www.spcc.edu.