What you need to know
The signing ceremony commemorated the first cohort of P-TECH students to sign on to an apprenticeship program—the Acutronic Apprenticeship Alliance—through the advanced manufacturing P-TECH program, as well as other students who were committing to joining the district's two P-TECH academies.
About the program
Also known as A3, the program is a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprentices program led by the Central Texas division of Acutronics Aerospace Components, according to BISD.
The apprenticeship program, in partnership with the advanced manufacturing PTECH academy, provides students a direct pathway into this sector from high school.
P-TECH academies are a partnership between a public school and a higher education institution—in this case, Austin Community College—in which students are able to earn an industry certification and gain hands-on experience through their coursework. Students in this program graduate with a Level 1 certification in advanced manufacturing, said incoming P-TECH specialist Michelle Sherman.
What they're saying
“Acutronic is proud to sponsor A3, the first program of its kind in Texas and one of the trailblazing youth apprenticeship programs in the country,” said Florian Aigrain, Acutronic CEO in a statement from BISD. “We are thrilled to welcome our first apprentices and look forward to their growth as future leaders in electromechanical technology.”
What else?
The district also has a P-TECH academy for health science, wherein students are able to earn their pharmacy technician certification. A similar ceremony was held April 28 at Bastrop High School to celebrate students in that program, administrators said.
