VU, Amazon Team Up on Major Apprenticeship Alliance
(photo courtesy of Amazon)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowVincennes University has been selected by Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) for an apprenticeship program the university is calling a game-changer. VU is the first university in the country to collaborate with the online retail giant on the Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship program, which is designed to prepare apprentices for careers in automation and robotics.
Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field that combines mechanical, electrical and computer engineering. As part of the program, apprentices will receive training on skills, including mechanical systems, maintenance and troubleshooting, and fluid power, among others. Amazon says its employees who take part in the program could see hourly wage increases of up to 40%.
“As one of the world’s leading innovative organizations, Amazon’s approach to addressing this critical talent gap was to design an approach that is adaptable and scalable quickly,” VU President Chuck Johnson said in a news release. “This partnership represents one more way that VU has engaged with employers to develop brand-new, industry-aligned workforce development solutions for technical roles that are vital to our future economic growth and success.”
Vincennes says apprentices will receive a combination of immersive classroom learning, hands-on instruction, and on-the-job learning. The apprentices will live on the VU campus and study and train at the Indiana Center for Applied Technology.
In addition to the technical training, the university says apprentices will also learn soft skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork.
Johnson will appear this weekend on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick to talk more about the program, the partnership with Amazon and the potential impact on workforce development.