 Pictured: MC3 participant Oscar (middle, in red), Salvador (far right, in blue), and fellow participants gaining valuable skills during hands-on training. |
WACO, Texas—National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), now in its 10th year, is a celebration of the life-changing impact of apprenticeships across the United States. This annual event highlights programs that empower individuals to build careers while addressing critical workforce needs in local communities. In the Heart of Texas, Workforce Solutions is leading the charge with innovative initiatives that truly transform lives—from bending pipe to building classrooms—through programs like the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum (MC3) Pre-Apprenticeship and the Early Education Apprenticeship (EEA).
The MC3 program is helping individuals like Oscar and Salvador launch their careers in the skilled trades. “The MC3 program gave us a head start,” Salvador shared. They are are among 14 apprentices who graduated from the 2024 MC3 program, gaining hands-on training and skills that set them up for success in the trades. Participants completed a 120-hour curriculum, gaining hands-on experience in essential trade skills. Offered in partnership with McLennan Community College (MCC), IBEW Local 72, and UA Local 529, the program prepares individuals for registered apprenticeship programs (RAPs) in high-demand trades like electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and HVAC mechanics.
Craig Miller, Business Manager for IBEW Local 72, highlighted the program’s transformative impact. “The MC3 program is a great eye-opener to young people—or people of all ages—who have never been aware of the building trades. It shows them the benefits of entering a union, including good wages, paid healthcare, and paid retirement—a pure path to the middle class,” he said.
Apprenticeships aren’t just about tools and trades—they’re also shaping industries like early childhood education. Workforce Solutions, in partnership with MCC and the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, has launched the Early Education Apprenticeship (EEA) program, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the region. The program allows participants to earn wages while receiving on-the-job mentoring and industry-recognized credentials.
Shamira, a graduate from the inaugural EEA cohort earlier this year, shared how the program transformed her journey: “This program has benefited me so much. It’s made me a better teacher, a better person, a better mother.”
Pictured: EEA Apprentice Brittany Toten, teaching children valuable skills at Lil Eagles Academy
The second cohort of participants are actively in classrooms across the region, getting hands-on experience, and preparing them for their future in the childcare industry. “It combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training, helping them grow as professionals and balance their responsibilities,” Rhonda Leslie, Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas Early Education Apprenticeship Mentor, highlighted. Leslie also shared the broader impact: “Parents have noticed their children’s development improving and feel more connected to the learning process. It’s building stronger classrooms and communities, one apprentice at a time.”
With over 19,000 registered apprentices across Texas, Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas is proud to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week and the life-changing opportunities apprenticeships bring to individuals and industries alike.
For more information on all apprenticeship programs offered by Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas, please click here.
About Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas
Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas provides comprehensive services for businesses and job seekers in its six-county service area, which includes Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan counties. Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas is one of 28 local workforce development boards under the direction of and funded by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).