In 2019, Cummins Sales and Service Indianapolis launched the Youth Technician Apprenticeship Program, a partnership with Area 31 Career Center at Ben Davis High School (Indianapolis) and Cummins Inc. Recently, Area 31 was recognized in partnership with Indiana’s Office of Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship (OWBLA) for development of four certified State Earn and Learn (SEAL) programs; with one being automotive services.

Ken Hurst, Area Manager for Cummins Sales and Service, shared his appreciation of the partnership with Area 31 Career Center and said, “The students will be ahead of their peers and enter the workforce well prepared. The students are knowledgeable and have a great work ethic. Our partnership benefits us immensely and has provided us with outstanding employees.”

Area 31 Director Patrick Biggerstaff spoke of the importance of strong school-employer partnerships, and shared his appreciation for OWBLA’s leadership in facilitating discussions and helping to expand quality career and technical education programming across Indiana. Area 31 Career Center, with the investment of local employer partners, will continue to create direct talent pipeline strategies to make positive impacts to the communities they serve.

Biggerstaff noted, “State Earn and Learn programs mean a lot to our staff, students, and employer partners. It is a testament to the quality of experiences and outcomes that are realized in our community.”

Qualified automotive services students are concurrently enrolled into the Cummins Youth Technician Apprenticeship Program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor.

SEAL programs are Indiana’s state-level apprenticeship type programs. They are designed to deliver work and learn experience for participants along with the skills and certifications employers value. These programs are geared toward both adult and youth populations, and Indiana’s high school graduation pathway requirements.

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development projects Indiana employers will need to fill more than one million additional jobs in the next 10 years, half of which will not require a four-year college degree, but some type of certification or credential beyond a high school diploma, and Cummins is in position to help those interested in a career in automotive technology.