By Boyd Worsham
Apprenticeship has a time-honored history of training individuals in all manner of skilled crafts.
I was recruited from a carpentry class at Orange Park High School by The Haskell Co., and my 33-year career path with the company has led me from being a carpenter’s helper through the apprentice program and ultimately to my present position as vice president of construction support.
I can see no better way for a company to grow its own talent than through NEFBA’s apprenticeship program.
We have some 850 employees at Haskell, and every person is a big deal. As employers we have an obligation to develop each one to his or her fullest potential. We find the talent, recruit and then train.
The NEFBA apprenticeship program provides that training component for us. The program requires a minimum investment from us, which we consider an investment in our employee.
The NEFBA apprenticeship program creates craft professionals who are well-equipped for the rest of their lives. Whether they prefer the hands-on practice of their chosen trade or want to move into supervisory and management positions, they have a skilled trade that no one can take away.
Personally, I really love the business of construction, and pursued my education eventually to obtain a master’s degree in business. I also love being a carpenter. Becoming a craft professional — carpenter, plumber, electrician or heating and air-conditioning technician — is a noble life choice.
It’s a source of pride to me to have come up through the construction ranks and now to be in a position to be part of the apprenticeship process that trains future craft professionals.
Employers who make an investment in an apprentice add value to that person’s life, to the community, the economy and to their own company. It is the smart thing to do all the way around.