HVACR NewsMagazine December 2017

S tate, National, Chapter News Education News

approximately 5,000 registered apprentices, according to a National Apprenticeship Week proclamation

NWACC Apprenticeships

Cause for Celebration (Dr. Evelyn E. Jorgenson, president of NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.)

NorthWest Arkansas Community College, like many organizations across the state, observed National Apprenticeship Week during the week of Nov. 13-19. The designated week offered business, labor and education leaders a chance to express their support for apprenticeships. At NWACC, we support apprenticeships with words — and actions — as we partner with others to provide important workforce training for individuals entering critical skilled trades. An apprenticeship makes good economic sense for both the employer and the apprentice. According to Department of Labor statistics, workers who complete apprenticeship programs earn $300,000 more over a career than their peers who don’t. Another statistic shows for every dollar spent on apprenticeship, employers get approximately $1.50 in ROI. Arkansas has 104 registered apprenticeship programs, involving hundreds of employers and

issued by Governor Asa Hutchinson. NorthWest Arkansas Community College is among those organizations providing registered apprenticeship programs. The college is part of the network that supports apprenticeships in such high- demand fields as HVAC, plumbing, electrical and, more recently, ironworks. We believe NWACC’s work in providing technical training in these trades dovetails with the community college’s mission of empowering lives, inspiring learning and strengthening our community through accessible, affordable, quality education. Apprenticeships also represent a tangible part of the college’s efforts to help address the specific needs of our region. Construction is booming in northwest Arkansas. During the first half of 2017, the number of residential building permits issued rose almost 10 percent over the same period in 2016, according to data in the Skyline Report from the University of Arkansas and Arvest