Jacob poses alongside his parents and school staff with his DoL Registered Apprenticeship Completion Certificate.
Jacob Staszewski, PVHS 2023 Graduate, spent his senior year of high school earning and learning at the same time. As a labor shortage impacts employers across the country, the Department of Labor has worked to expand training opportunities for skilled trades positions through the Registered Apprenticeship model.
“Registered Apprenticeship (RA) opportunities can be life-changing for high school students wanting to jump-start rewarding careers while helping employers develop a skilled early talent pipeline. With about 60 high schools and at least 90 employers participating, Iowans are seeing the value of this 'earn and learn' model that combines education and training with a paycheck from Day One and leads to a valuable national credential,” according to Earn and Learn, Iowa’s Registered Apprenticeship Program.
Jacob began his Registered Apprenticeship at Arconic the summer between his junior and senior year of high school. “He balanced a lot. He had classes at PV, he was also doing school work for his apprenticeship, and he was working,” Jacob’s mother, Angela, said.
Jacob graduated from PVHS in May, completed his CNC Machinist Apprentices Apprenticeship program this August, and also earned a college certificate from EICC at the same time. Jacob will continue earning and learning simultaneously with Arconic as a Maintenance Machinist Apprentice. ‘I am earning $31 an hour at 18 years old, and I’m learning skills and getting certifications that will benefit me for the rest of my career,” he shared.
Mary Johnson, Career Coordinator at PVHS, spoke of Jacob as a trailblazer. “This was our third apprentice, and the second to successfully complete that Arconic brought on board. Jacob not only paved the way for a great future for himself, but he opened the door for future students across the country, and the world with the company, who is now looking to expand the program because of the positive experience they had.”
Congratulations, Jacob! We are proud of you!