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THE WAKE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
By Maria Tedesco Spine of Spine Properties, LLC
A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN WAKE TECH AND WAKE COUNTY
TO ADDRESS THE REGION'S SHORTAGE OF TECHNICAL WORKERS.
Wake Technical Community College now offers formal apprenticeship programs where tuition, fees, and books are free, and there are paid internships as well.
Wake Technical Community College now offers formal apprenticeship programs where tuition, fees, and books are free, and there are paid internships as well. Who actually funds the expenses that students would typically absorb?
Apprenticeship programs are funded by Wake County’s WakeWorks initiative. WakeWorks is a partnership between the college and Wake County to address the region's shortage of technical workers.
This allows apprentices to go to school tuition-free and also provides benefits to participating employers such as program support to relieve them from the day-to-day administrative work that comes from having an apprenticeship program.
What fields of study does Wake Tech currently offer apprenticeships in?
There are currently courses being offered in several career fields:
Biotechnology - Business & Professional Services - Construction & Maintenance
Education - Health Care & Wellness - Transportation
In some of these career fields there are more than one concentration or occupation to study and train for. Here are a few examples:
In the Construction & Maintenance field, one might choose from drafter, Electrician, Facility maintenance technician, HVAC technician, or four other concentrations in this field.
In the Health Care & Wellness field one can choose from nine concentrations including CT technician, MRI technician, and Medical sonographer.
What are some of the opportunities that these programs offer?
These are great opportunities for students to earn while they learn and get a leg up on employment and workplace success while gaining relevant skills and developing lasting connections.
Also, students in one of these programs can take college classes while working at the same time with a mentor on the job to learn a checklist of skills applicable to their job.
What are some of the more important benefits of these programs?
Students that are hired as an apprentice by an employer that has partnered with Wake Tech gain the training and skills needed for rewarding careers.
Apprentices may be eligible for a variety of benefits including:
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Getting paid throughout their apprenticeships, including wage increases as they develop new skills.
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Gain relevant work experience while applying the knowledge gained in the classroom to a real-world setting.
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Earn an associate degree, a diploma or certificate.
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Receive financial support to help pay for tuition, fees, and other related expenses.
Are there any typical costs or out-of-pocket expenses that the student must absorb?
No, the only cost would be if they used up their textbook reimbursement benefit.
Can you tell us a little about employers in this program?
All participating employers are located in Wake County.
WTCC works with the employers to determine the skills their apprentices will need and help them design experiences to validate competencies.
Classroom preparation is reinforced through hands-on learning, where apprentices are monitored by an experienced company mentor. The result is a highly skilled candidate well-prepared for the expectations of the workplace.
What about the number of participating companies?
There were about 150 companies employed 500 apprentices through Wake Tech Apprenticeships in 2024, up from only 20 employers and 100 apprentices four years earlier.
May employers in adjacent counties that have shortages in these fields someday be included in this program or do they have similar programs of their own?
Adjacent Johnston Community College and Central Carolina Community College both also offer a large amount of training and education opportunities to employers.
Has our state’s ambitious plans to attract new industries and companies to our area contributed to the increased demand for these types of skilled occupations?
North Carolina is an attractive place for corporations to be located in. Our state has been named America’s Top State for Business for three of the last four years by CNBC; and was named the 2025 State of the Year for Economic Development by Business Facilities Magazine.
Is the Wake Tech programs based on other similar college programs?
Wake Tech’s program is not based on any other specific program; it is based on how to grow and train the workforce here in Wake County so that the county can remain an attractive place for people to move to.
Are there other community colleges that offer similar programs?
There are many community colleges that offer apprenticeship programs across the state. Each program is different in its own way and meets the needs of its workforce and the students that they serve.
Wake Tech Apprentices are awarded a Journey worker certification when they have finished their program. What is this?
This is a nationally recognized credential that signifies that they have mastered the skills in their field. It comes directly from the United States Department of Labor. This certification verifies that the person is educated and trained in that specific occupation and can be a mentor for others in that career field.
How valuable is this in the fields where it is recognized?
While in some occupations such as in skilled trades, this credential may be more highly valued than in some other fields like health science, or hospitality, it’s still a very important credential to have for resumes because it does signify that the individual is educated, skilled, and experienced.
Wake Tech apprenticeships are registered with Apprenticeship NC, the North Carolina Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Registered Apprenticeship program.
What about apprentices that go to work for the employer they interned with, and soon after later leave to go to work with a different employer?
While certainly anyone can gain this credential and later move to a different employer, the national average is that 91% of employees who completed an apprenticeship program are still with their same employer five years later.
What about the wages that they are paid while interning?
Wake Tech’s programs all have a required progressive wage scale.
The employers will be responsible for paying their apprentices (employees) for their on-the-job training during the apprenticeship program.
As apprentices complete their education requirements and benchmarks in their on-the-job training, their wage scales will increase.
Do students need to be already enrolled at Wake Tech and taking classes there in order to be eligible to apply for apprenticeship positions?
Some employers may hire externally and then send their employee through this program.
Anyone else must be a current Wake Tech student in order to enroll in one of these programs.
Is it possible that a student who may have enrolled in anticipation of participation in one of these programs may not actually get into one of them?
These apprenticeships are really employer-driven.
The college strives to try and help its students get into one of its apprenticeship programs, such as getting their resumes in front of employers, setting them up for hiring events, etc. However, it cannot force an employer to hire someone.
Sometimes the supply of students wanting a specific apprenticeship is greater than the demand that the industry has at that current moment for that same kind of apprenticeship.
Has a student who completed one of these programs, but is still in the process of getting their full degree, ever been needed by one of the college’s industrial partners before he gets his degree?
The companies Wake Tech work with understand that an apprenticeship program requires education, and they would never try to take a student out of class before they have graduated.
Are any of the general eligibility requirements for an apprenticeship different than those that are necessary to enroll at Wake Tech?
Wake Tech requires a student wishing to enroll in one of our regular curriculums to either have a high school diploma or GED, and in addition, must be in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or above).
However, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) requires that an apprentice must be a US Citizen, be over the age of 18 years, and also have a Social Security number.
Could a high school student submit their interest in one of these programs before enrolling at Wake Tech?
They can, but unfortunately the college cannot begin working with a student who is interested in one of its apprenticeships until they are actually enrolled in classes at Wake Tech.
High school students are encouraged to look into either the Wake County Public Schools Pre-Apprenticeship Program or the North Carolina Technology Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP).
Wake Tech also partners with the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program to provide related technical instruction for high school students in pre-apprenticeship programs at area businesses. These students must be hired as Registered Apprentices within 120 days of their high school graduation to continue in the program.
The Wake Tech program uses the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) curriculum. What is this?
This is a pathway that a particular industry may choose for their apprentices. At the end of this pathway, students will also receive their Construction Craft Labor certification which is another national recognized credential.
This may be an attractive option for electrical, HVAC, and carpentry programs, but students can also use the regular degree curriculum pathway as well.
What are some of the major benefits for an employer participating in this program?
Easy access to students wanting to be hired as apprentices is a major benefit.
Another benefit for the employer is that their need to meet the U.S. Dept. of labor requirements are taken off their shoulders because the team at Wake Tech handles all of that for them.
One more employer benefit is that they can recruit and hire students whose tuition was free and they don’t have to think of the possibility of tuition reimbursement on their end.
Is there a risk that an employer who incurred expenses such as paying apprentice's wages, providing training and mentorship, evaluating the apprentice's progress, and providing a safe and productive work environment might have a student-apprentice goes to work for a competitor instead of them?
There is always that risk, but with the national average being so high for apprentices staying with their employer after 5-years of full-time employment, this is well worth the risk.
Does WTCC staff actively go out and meet with employers to acquaint them with its program and see they can help them meet their needs?
College staff often engages with perspective new employers on its apprenticeship program and also connects with its current employer-partners on revisions or additions they might need to match their own industry needs.
At a very high level what are perspective new employers being told upon the initial contact?
They are told that they can build their future workforce by developing the talent they need at their place of business. Registered apprentices will learn skills from their most-seasoned employees, creating a safer work environment and a company culture that reduces turnover and fosters loyalty for years to come.
Businesses find that apprenticeships can offer a competitive edge, serve as a powerful tool in developing a workforce tailored to their unique needs and provide a foundation for growth.
Visit https://www.waketech.edu/programs-courses/apprenticeship/students to learn more about each course and program.
Go to https://www.waketech.edu/programs-courses/apprenticeship to see more information about Wake Tech Apprenticeships,
This blog courtesy of your Holly Springs RPP Volunteer and real estate broker
Maria Tedesco Spine of Spine Properties, LLC