More than 70 Quad Cities area high school students took a first step Wednesday, May 10, to building a career.
Some will become welders, software engineers, EMTs, machinists and mechanics. All will reach their goal by becoming apprentices at area companies.
The students joined Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds as well as school, business and community leaders for the 2023 Quad Cities High School Apprenticeship Signing Day event on Wednesday at the Waterfront Convention Center, Bettendorf.
The event was hosted by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce and attracted several hundred people. The crowd was on hand to watch the 72 students signing documents to express their commitment to becoming an apprentice at 16 area employers representing eight different fields of work.
The now annual event also was a cross between a graduation ceremony with parents and family members often cheering as their students signed the documents and a rally to tout the merits of apprenticeship programs in the region and across the state. It also was similar to the now popular sports signing events for high school athletes.
“Shared challenges, like workforce shortages, call for shared solutions. … Learning by doing is powerful. This is an incredible opportunity (for students) at such a young age,” Gov. Reynolds said during the event as she congratulated the area students and praised apprenticeship programs in Iowa.
The governor also used the Wednesday gathering to sign the Iowa Registered Apprenticeship Act (Senate File 318) that will establish an Iowa Office of Apprenticeship with Iowa Workforce Development. That office will help spur more apprenticeship programs in the state by creating a direct connection between employers, students and apprentices.
Before signing the bill into law, the governor said the legislation represents the state’s “continued commitment” to apprenticeship programs. She added that Iowa is the national leader in the number of registered apprenticeship programs and the first to have teacher and para-educator programs. Those programs will train 500 teachers and another 500 paraeducators in the next couple of years, Ms. Reynolds added.
“We need all of you today. … You can’t learn everything in the classroom,” said U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in a video message to the students broadcast at the signing event.
While much of the event was devoted to pushing the merits of apprenticeship programs, the students were at the center of most of the activities. For instance, before the program started, two large screens in front of the convention center main room were used to show pictures and names of the students and the programs they are entering. Some of the students appearing on the screens included:
- Alec Simms of Sherrard High School, who is entering a welding program at McLaughlin Body Company.
- Joseph Todd of United Township High School, who is entering a software engineering program with John Deere.
- Nathan Borgel of Davenport schools, who is entering a welding program at McLaughlin Body Company.
- Brooklynd Hellberg of Davenport schools, who is entering a welding program at McLaughlin Body Company.
- Sirenity Morales of Rock Island High School, who is entering a CNA program with UnityPoint Health.
Many of the students attending said they wanted to be part of the apprentice program because it could lead to good-paying careers with jobs they enjoy.
One of those students is Aiden Jacobs, 17, a junior at Davenport West High School, who is going into a welding program at ArcFlash Weld Solutions. “I love it (welding). It’s hands-on. No day is going to be the same,” he added.
In addition to training students for jobs they love, the apprenticeship programs will help get young people into a career without burdening them with debt they might get by going to a four-year college. That’s the message Clayton Shelton told the crowd on Wednesday.
Mr. Shelton, a 2022 graduate of Pleasant Valley High School, took part in a program and is now a machinist at Arconic Davenport Works. “I am financially stable with zero debt and I have college credit and I’m 19 years old,” he told the crowd.
The apprenticeship programs not only help students find solid careers, they also help the local economy by keeping people in the communities and providing them with high-paying, great careers, he added.
“What people don’t realize is that every dollar I make will go back into the Quad Cities. … This is a really, really great opportunity for the community,” Mr. Shelton told the QCBJ after the festivities.
The programs are also a great opportunity for local businesses. Travis Turner, general manager, Invio Automation (formerly named Eckhart), of Eldridge, told the crowd a story of meeting with other business officials who complained about the lack of workers available for their companies. His response to them was – stop complaining and create your own workforce by partnering with schools and make apprenticeships. “It’s the best workforce you can hire,” he added.
After the ceremony, Mr. Turner told the QCBJ about his own experiences in high school many years ago. He loved welding, but was also considering college. A teacher told him in order to further his education he “needed to drop welding and take French.”
The 2023 apprenticeship signing event showed that times have changed and students have more opportunities, he said.
“When I tell that story, it makes me sound like I hate French, but I don’t. … I’m just passionate about the kids getting the career path they need,” Mr. Turner added.
Several business and community officials also expressed their hopes that apprenticeship programs will continue to thrive and grow in the Quad Cities. They also called for more businesses to get involved, contact their local school districts and create programs for students.
“I hope we continue to grow the opportunities for these students. … This is just the beginning,” said LaDrina Wilson, the chamber’s CEO.
Students participating in the program, their apprenticeships and employers, included:
- Bettendorf schools – Kaitlyn Reis, EMT program with MEDIC; Peyton Morse, EMT program with MEDIC; Abby Gamble, EMT program with MEDIC; Adriana McGee, EMT program with MEDIC; Owen Allison, welder, John Deere; and Zarin Tracy, welder, Sivyer Steel.
- Calamus-Wheatland – Chase Olson, welder, John Deere.
- Davenport schools – Nicolos Schmook, airframe mechanic with Elliott Aviation; Zane Augustine, software engineer with John Deere Global IT; Sean Brown, software engineer with John Deere Global IT; Landon Migawa, software engineer with John Deere Global IT; Lee Nelson; software engineer with John Deere Global IT; Aiden Jacobs, welder with ArcFlash Weld Solutions; Briar Guenther, welder with Davenport Electric; Julian Torres, welder with John Deere; Kylie Daily, welder with John Deere Davenport Works; Trent Kopp, welder with John Deere Davenport Works; Jace Griffin, welder with John Deere Davenport Works; Magnus Ricketts, welder with John Deere Davenport Works; Conner Varchola, welder with John Deere Davenport Works; Jose Reyes, welder with John Deere Davenport Works; Hayden Schmidt, welder with John Deere Davenport Works; Taylor Bates, welder with McLaughlin; Nathan Borgel, welder with McLaughlin; Conner Keck, welder with McLaughlin; Brooklyn Hellberg, welder with McLaughlin; Jada Daily, welder with McLaughlin; Hope Hunsucker, welder with McLaughlin; Hailey Mizer, welder with McLaughlin; Bryton, Goellnitz, welder with McLaughlin; Kayson Blackwood, welder with Sivyer Steel; Logan Peet, welder with Sivyer Steel; and Sammy Cheatheam, welder with Sivyer Steel.
- Moline-Coal Valley – Mackenzie Smith, CNC machinist with John Deere Cylinder; Abby Pollock, welder with John Deere Harvester; Roman Ojeda, welder with John Deere Harvester; Garrett Myers, welder with McLaughlin Body Co.; Aedyn Rowe, welder with McLaughlin Body Co.; Dalton Summers, welder with McLaughlin Body Co.; Oscar Patino, welder with McLaughlin Body Co.; and Tayvian York, welder with McLaughlin Body Co.
- North Scott – Ella Jewell, software engineer with John Deere; Soren Hundertmark, software engineer with John Deere; Peyton Pike, software engineer with John Deere; Kennedy Rupp, software engineer with John Deere; Jameson Christensen, welder with Bowe Knife; Shaun Yaudas, welder with John Deere; Carver Johnson, welder with John Deere; and Elijah Shewmake, welder with John Deere.
- Pleasant Valley – Trystan Ritchie, welder with Bowe Machine; James Morley, welder with Boyler Ornamental Ironworks; and Jackson Franzenburg, welder with John Deere.
- Rock Island-Milan – Dah Gay Htoo, CNA at UnityPoint Health; Sirenity Morales, CNA at UnityPoint Health; Gavin Gasper, welder at John Deere; Michael Brose, welder at John Deere; Riley Porter, welder at John Deere; David Axnix, welder at McLaughlin Body; and Matthew Coon, welder at McLaughlin Body.
- Sherrard – Alex Simms, welder at McLaughlin Body.
- United Township Area Career Center – Jose Lopez-Vargas, auto body at Kunes Ford; Michael Hayes, auto body at Kunes Ford; Karson Manning, welder at George Evans Corp.; Grady Craver, welder at Deere Harvester; James Johnson, welder at Deere Harvester; Peyton Stewart, welder at Deere Harvester; Tabitha Barham, welder at McLaughlin Body; Jacob Peterson, welder at McLaughlin Body; Ryan Vermeulen, welder at McLaughlin Body Co.; Addisyn Bowling, software engineer at John Deere; and Joe Todd, software engineer at John Deere.
