Explore a Career in Advanced manufacturing

Advanced Manufacturing Youth Apprenticeship

Ever wondered how your favorite video game console is made?

Or how drones can take incredible photos as they fly through the sky?

We can thank, Advanced Manufacturing for these innovations and so many others.

If the thought of working with computers, sensors, 3D printers, robots, and artificial intelligence every day gets you excited, then consider a Guilford Apprenticeship Partners (GAP) program in advanced manufacturing.

As a GAP apprentice, you will:

Gain the hands-on skills you need

Get paid to go to school and train

Earn a college degree for free

Companies will pay you to work as an apprentice so you can gain the skills you need. Plus, you get to earn a college degree for free, all while you’re still in high school — fast-tracking your way to a paycheck and a rewarding career.

Skills for Success in Advanced Manufacturing

Imagine using your talents and skills to do something you love and turning that into an actual career. If you enjoy problem-solving, creating things, and working with technology, a career in advanced manufacturing could be a perfect fit for you.

Here are some traits and interests that skilled professionals in this field often have in common:

Interests

  • Innovation
  • Computer programming/coding
  • Electronics
  • Robotics/machines
  • Building
  • Artificial intelligence

Skills

  • Problem-solving
  • Critical thinking
  • Attention to detail
  • Mechanical ability
  • Resourcefulness
  • Precision
  • Curiosity
  • Creativity

School Subjects

  • Physics 
  • Chemistry
  • Materials science
  • Computer science/IT 
  • Graphic design
  • Engineering/computer-aided design

Parents…

If this sounds like your child, discover how a GAP apprenticeship can prepare them for career success.

Download a Brochure

Potential Apprenticeship Providers and Employers

Today’s advanced manufacturing facilities are high-tech spaces where workers create amazing technologies that help shape our future, while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. It’s no surprise that the U.S. economy relies on qualified manufacturing professionals to remain competitive in the world. And with an existing generation of workers retiring and a lack of skilled workers to fill those roles, opportunities abound for a bright future in advanced manufacturing.

Harness your passions and abilities and add real value in exciting fields like these:

  • Aerospace
  • Bioengineering
  • Injection-molded plastics
  • Food and beverage
  • Machining

The possibilities are endless. You might be programming a robot for a new medical technology one day and using 3D software to produce a part for a spaceship the next.

Specific job titles in the field of advanced manufacturing could include:

  • Robotics technician 
  • Program operator
  • Mechanical engineering technician 
  • Precision machining programmer 
  • Metal and plastic model maker 

The head start you gain from an apprenticeship could provide you with a higher-paying position sooner and help you build a more competitive salary path throughout your career. On average, the U.S. hourly pay rate for these professional positions ranges from approximately $26-$33. Factors that can affect pay rate include experience level and location.

Ready to jump-start your career?

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Potential Apprenticeship Providers and Employers

At Guilford Apprenticeship Partners (GAP), we work with top advanced manufacturing employers in the Piedmont-Triad area to provide the best hands-on apprenticeship training. Learn from experienced workers who live in your community, gain valuable skills, and develop strong connections.

Once your apprenticeship is complete, you could continue working with your apprenticeship provider as a regular full-time employee. After all, our apprenticeship partners are looking to invest in you — building their next generation of skilled, loyal workers.

Learn more about our participating employers.

ABCO Automation
For over four decades, ABCO Automation has earned the trust of businesses, ranging from Fortune 500 giants to ambitious start-ups, as their go-to partner for Engineering, Design, Manufacturing & Robots
Berkshire
Berkshire Corporation is the global leader in developing and manufacturing products for critical surfaces and controlled environments worldwide.
Bison-Ametek
Solving complex challenges to make the world a better place. It’s what we do.
Cross Company
Cross is an industrial technology company that works with all kinds of companies to improve quality, raise efficiency, and lower risk.
Culp
With four decades of innovation and quality, Culp (NYSE: CULP) supplies a wide range of mattress and upholstery fabrics across the globe.
Endura Door Components
Endura Products, Inc. is a manufacturer of components for entry door systems that enhance performance, save time, eliminate service calls and cut costs, delivering a smarter door experience.
Guilford County
Guilford County, NC support services
KAO
We develop sustainable and high-quality products and services that contribute to the well-being of people, society, and the planet.
LC America
LC America is a snack pellets manufacturer committed to developing the highest sustainable standards in the snack food industry.
MAC Panel
Interconnect Solutions for Automated Test Applications
Machine Specialties, Inc.
Machine Specialties, Inc. offers contract engineering services to customers who want to perform in-house machining and seek expertise to develop the required processes.
Parker-HannifinAerospace Filtration Division
The Aerospace Filtration Division (AFD) is comprised of two business units that manufacture solutions for on-board aviation systems and ground fuel handling filtration solutions.
Parker-HannifinHose Products Division
We offer a wide range of hydraulic and industrial hoses, fittings, and hose configurations to meet the specific needs of our customers.
TE Connectivity
TE Connectivity empowers engineers for innovation in industrial technology by designing and manufacturing sensor and connectivity solutions for technology.
Thunderbird Molding
Thunderbird Molding offers comprehensive mold design, prototyping, engineering, production, and assembly services.
Ziehl-Abegg
Ziehl-Abegg focuses on system solutions for ventilation, control and drive technology and are constantly looking for new applications for our products.

FAQs

Get answers to some of the common questions we hear from interested students just like you.

GAP applicants come from many local areas, including Browns Summit, Greensboro, High Point, Jamestown, Summerfield, Stokesdale, Oak Ridge, McLeansville, Pleasant Garden, Whitsett, and Sedalia.

No, students do not need to live in Guilford County, NC, or attend high school in Guilford County to qualify.

You could apply to GAP starting as early as the fall of your junior or senior year of high school. If accepted, you could start getting paid on-the-job training before you even graduate. Additionally, the cost of all tuition, books, and fees to attend Guilford Technical Community College following high school are covered as well.

Throughout your apprenticeship, you’ll earn a competitive hourly wage that increases as you progress through the program. Once you’ve completed the apprenticeship, you’ll have earned an associate’s degree from Guilford Technical Community College. If you’d like to continue on to earn a bachelor’s degree, your associate degree credits are eligible for transfer to most state 4-year universities.

Get info from a student or participating apprenticeship partner

Yes! In the Piedmont area alone, there are companies that supply parts for SpaceX, install equipment at the Dallas Cowboys stadium, provide software support for Microsoft, and make equipment that is used on the International Space Station.

See Where You Can Work a Youth Apprentice

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