In August 2012, The Apprenticeship 2000 program was recognized by the United States Department of Labor as a recipient of the Trailblazers and Innovators Award within the National Registered Apprenticeship system.

Apprenticeship 2000 is the only program that was recognized from North Carolina because of its long-term success and innovative approach to training skilled workers.

With more than 24,000 registered apprenticeship programs nationwide, it is a great honor that Apprenticeship 2000 was selected to receive the Trailblazers and Innovators Award in Washington DC. With the great group of people heading up Apprenticeship 2000, there is no doubt that it will continue to be successful for many years to come.

“The average age of key technicians in America is above 50 years. Our average age is below 30 years and therefore we can utilize all the newest machinery and equipment that is needed to compete with the low labor markets in our manufacturing facility in North Carolina. We are very grateful for receiving such a prestigious award and we look forward to its many years of future success for our Apprenticeship program,” said Apprenticeship Manager, Andreas Thurner. Commitment, hard work, planning, ideas, innovation, and passion come together when you have a group of individuals who maintain the vision for the future of manufacturing.

About Apprenticeship 2000

Apprenticeship 2000 started with two partnered companies in 1995, Blum and Daetwyler. Since then it has grown to include six additional partner companies: Ameritech Die & Mold, Chiron, Pfaff Molds, Timken, Sarstedt and Siemens. The program has also evolved from the original trainer/trainee format to its current mentoring based curriculum. Since 1995, 116 students have successfully graduated and 49 apprentices are currently enrolled in the four year program.