An apprenticeship program offers high school and college students the opportunity to earn credits while training for highly skilled positions.
Few people know what an industrial maintenance technician is, but Frito-Lay’s Perry Plant in Georgia, where 300 million pounds of snacks are processed annually, demands a 24-hour crew of 100 industrial maintenance technicians to keep its 15 production lines running. The difficult-to-fill position requires a specialized two-year degree, and it was a key role for which the company saw serious shortages of skilled candidates.
“This skilled labor issue is not one that’s unique to Perry,” Patrick McLaughlin, SVP, CHRO for Frito-Lay told Education Dive’s sister publication HR Dive in an email.
The challenge led to the creation of Frito-Lay’s apprenticeship program, the Houston County Career Academy (HCCA) Industrial Maintenance Program. Students who participate in the program receive elective high school and college credits for basic engineering and maintenance skills that will prepare them for entry-level employment in manufacturing roles upon graduation. As a result, Frito-Lay has identified several successful hires, McLaughlin said.
“[We’re] constantly working with our local manufacturing sites to develop similar programs, or to forge relationships with local colleges to build our future pipeline of talent,” he added.