AlloHire
photo by Marcherie Savage
EPB
photo by Marcherie Savage
AHS Consulting
photo by Marcherie Savage
Tiny Tigers
photo by Marcherie Savage
Four local Chattanooga/Hamilton County companies were selected to receive $10,000 each in financial incentives to kick-start a new youth apprenticeship program for residents ages 16–24 years old. The funding was provided by the Apprenticeships Building America I grant to celebrate the first-ever National Youth Apprenticeship Week.
The winners were announced at the kickoff event for National Youth Apprenticeship Week. The event also featured remarks from Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly; Dr. Justin Robertson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools; Molly Bashay, senior advisor from the US Department of Labor; and Tucker McClendon, deputy mayor of Hamilton Count.
Twenty companies submitted applications for the youth apprenticeship funding. The four winning applicants were selected based on several factors, including innovativeness of the position(s), plans to grow the apprenticeship program, and a demonstrated commitment to mentoring as part of the company culture. The four winning employers are:
AlloHire
EPB (Electric Power Board)
Tiny Tigers Learning Center
AHS Consulting
Mayor Kelly was on hand to give remarks and celebrate youth apprenticeships. He stressed the importance of growing the local apprenticeship ecosystem in Chattanooga and expanding opportunities for local youth. “A lot of what we're working on in the city of Chattanooga is addressing disparities and gaps in income net worth," Mayor Kelly said. “With all the support coming from the federal, state, and local levels, it is critical to have our partners in the business community to rally around these opportunities as well–that’s the only way we can get it right. The good news is, for all of us, we can rally around a good idea, and we can get it right.”
Dr. Robertson echoed the mayor and called on the local business community to support youth apprenticeship. “The reason this matters in Chattanooga is, if you want to lead to a thriving wage, you have to have thriving opportunities,” Dr. Robertson said. “You've got to have partners that are aligned — not just the county government, not just the federal government, but also our private partners that are willing to provide youth apprenticeships.”
Walton Robinson, executive director of Apprenticeship Works, who led the application and selection process added, “More and more local businesses are discovering the value and, frankly, the competitive advantage that apprenticeships bring to their workforce. The truth is that youth apprenticeships are a phenomenal tool for local businesses. Depending on the industry, apprenticeships come with tax benefits, financial incentives that cover training costs, and they yield sky-high employee retention rates–over 90 percent of apprentices are still with the same company after five years.”