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Engel North America (York, Pa.), the regional headquarters for the Austria-based maker of injection molding machines and automation, has created a paid apprenticeship program to offer students free, comprehensive training on molding and automation systems. Certified and registered within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the program lasts four years and combines on-the-job experience and classroom-based instruction. Program graduates will receive an offer of full-time non-exempt employment at Engel, as well as a nationally recognized Journeymen’s certification.

In a release, Engel North America’s VP of human resources, Terri Fanz-Falzone, noted that all participants are fully paid during the program, including hours worked as well as the time spent in formalized education. For the first five months, students will live in corporate housing in York, Pa., attending classroom instruction for four hours a day and then participating in hands-on instruction for the other four hours with Engel’s experienced assemblers.

After this initial training period, apprentices will then return to live in their own homes and travel to customers with Engel’s field service technicians to learn the full extent of the position. Over the four years, students will return annually to York to attend a series of formalized education programs conducted by MASCPA (Manufacturing Association of South Central Pennsylvania).

The program features built-in step increases in pay, so that for every six months successfully completed, apprentices will receive a salary raise. In addition to paid training, benefits for apprentices include shared company vehicles and paid round-trip flights home during major U.S. holidays. Engel recently brought on several program graduates, including a group of Mechatronics Technicians for the Automation division.

The program is now in its second round, with 13 apprentices at present. To date, Engel says it has received more than 1275 applications. The company anticipates hiring five more apprentices in early 2023 from across the U.S., in addition to one from Canada.