Pittsburgh, PA – Nov. 15, 2021 — New Century Careers is celebrating National Apprenticeship Week
November 15-21, recruiting candidates for its new registered robotics technician apprenticeship as well
as hosting a webinar to showcase the impact apprenticeships have on building the region’s workforce
and to promote this option for career advancement the evolving maker industry.
The November 17 webinar from 1-2 p.m. is entitled “Apprenticeship Advantages for Individuals and
Employers: A Conversation with Industry Leaders.” The session will explore how these unique work-
based “earn and learn” training programs offer a competitive advantage for both individuals and
employers, by filling open jobs, improving productivity and profitability, and reducing turnover while
providing the regional workforce with pathways to career advancement or new opportunities in
evolving industry sectors.
Webinar discussants are
- John Tkach, Executive Director, Keystone Development Partnership
- Mara Peduto, Consultant, Workforce Development, Catalyst Connection
- Neil Ashbaugh, President and CEO, New Century Careers
Stephen Catt, Ed.D., President, Workforce K2Gray, will serve as moderator.
The session is free but registration is required.
National Apprenticeship Week was established by the U.S. Department of Labor to bring together
leading business, labor, education, apprentices, and other critical partners to showcase the impact
Registered Apprenticeship programs have on building the American workforce, re-building the economy,
advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting underserved communities.
We are proud to support National Apprenticeship Week. Registered Apprenticeship is a proven
pathway that enables employers to develop and train their future workforce while offering individuals
affordable paths to secure high-paying careers in manufacturing,” said Neil Ashbaugh, New Century
Careers president and CEO.
U.S. Department of Labor sources report that:
- 92% of apprentices retain employment after completing a Registered Apprenticeship
- program.
- The average starting wage after completing a Registered Apprenticeship program is
- $72,000.
- Workers who complete Registered Apprenticeship programs earn $300,000 more over a
- career than their peers who don’t.
- Apprentices earn while they learn, reducing the potential to take on debt.
- Earlier this year New Century Careers launched a two-year registered apprenticeship program to focus on automation and robotics for the job role robotics technician and is currently recruiting candidates.
- With a grant awarded by Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing, a Manufacturing USA Institute, NCC
- partnered with Catalyst Connection, Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), and Tooling-
- U/SME to develop the program.
The program offers related theory and instruction courses provided by CCAC, including safety,
hydraulics, programmable logic controllers, robotics, electrical, and mechanical training. At the
employer’s site, apprentices also will use Tooling-U online training modules and work to achieve
proficiency in 80-plus on-the-job competencies that will be monitored by the apprentice and the
apprentice’s supervisor.
“As more and more companies in the Pittsburgh region invest and deploy robotics and automation
solutions to meet their customers’ demands, the need for highly skilled technicians to operate and
maintain these systems is critical to the long-term success of both existing companies and recent start-
ups,” stated Neil Ashbaugh. “Candidates trained to fill these advanced manufacturing positions can
secure jobs with significant growth potential,” he added.
Ashbaugh encourages companies of any industry or size in need of training for employees to deploy
robotics to contact NCC to learn how the robotics technician program can affordably add in-house skills
not only to create products but also to maintain equipment and safety, reducing costs and lost
productivity.
New Century Careers also works with the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining
Association to provide our region’s manufacturers and individuals with a proven metalworking
apprenticeship related instruction program.
This program is designed to provide related instruction classes to support on-the-job training provided
by employers. Classroom training is offered at convenient locations in both Allegheny and
Westmoreland counties. While the instruction is open to anyone who would like to register for this four-
year program, apprentices who would like to earn their journeyman’s papers must also be registered
with his or her employer’s qualified Pennsylvania apprenticeship program for on-the-job training.
Companies in any sector interested in the NCC robotics technician apprenticeship program should
contact Eric Pferdekamper at pferdekamper@nsquared.com or (412) 745-1014 for more information.
