AmSkills Apprenticeship Project
The AmSkills Manufacturing Career Discovery Workshop and Bootcamp was created as a fast-track program to recruit and assess candidates for manufacturers to hire into entry-level robotics jobs. The one-day workshop and two-week Bootcamp utilizes the AmSkills Mobile Workshop and sets-up a temporary workshop at a local community center located in a low-income community. The AmSkills Apprenticeship program centers on industry-identified robotics skills and uses 80% hands-on activities and projects to demonstrate ability. Tours of multiple manufacturers are arranged to assist the candidates in learning more about the industry and to help them determine which robotics career path they are interested. In addition to technical skills, the emulated work environment allows participants to be evaluated on their soft skills, including time management, communication, presentation abilities, and others. On the final day of the Bootcamp, multiple manufacturers conduct on-site interviews in a “speed-dating”, fast-track style format, designed to help place the candidates quickly and efficiently into gainful employment in the specific area of robotics in manufacturing.
This project uses the Tampa Bay area as the pilot location. Tampa Bay has the largest concentration of manufacturers in Florida, however, 94% of these manufacturers have fewer than 50 employees. The worker shortage has a greater impact on the sustainability of these smaller manufacturers who also suffer from constrained resources for training and recruiting, creating a demand for accessible robotics apprenticeships.
AmSkills Apprenticeship Project Objective
Expose students to opportunities in STEM education, specifically targeting populations who may not have access to robotics training or STEM training with real-world applications.
AmSkills Apprenticeship Project Impact
20 unemployed people of various backgrounds and ages completed the two-week bootcamp in early February.
Following program completion, participants were given the opportunity for followup interviews. Five of the 20 participants were not immediately available to complete second interviews due to restrictions from their respective rehabilitation programs. 11 out of the 15 eligible workers have accepted job offers. The hired group includes a 59-year-old homeless veteran, two participants with criminal backgrounds, and a husband and wife pair who both accepted jobs at Jabil after years of sending unsuccessful applications. This demonstrates a high success rate, with the AmSkills Apprenticeship program finding jobs for almost 75% of candidates who made it through the program without external blockers.
AmSkills Apprenticeship Project Participants
AmSkills (Principal Investigator), Pinellas County, Urban League