GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. - A new apprenticeship program for high school students in one Triad county is opening doors to careers.

Some High Point Central High School students are hoping to land an apprenticeship, and eventually a job, at Harriss and Covington Hosiery.

"I learned about the knitting technician,” said student Bernard Bonola. “I like that job, and I'm hoping to get it."

The company is one of several manufacturers investing in the new Guilford Apprenticeship Partnership.

GCS high schoolers get paid job training and a two-year associate degree in manufacturing technology from Guilford Technical Community College at no cost.

"The students are guaranteed, when they come to work here, that they'll have a job,” explained Danny McNair, vice president of manufacturing for Harriss and Covington Hosiery. “The first year, they'll go to school for half the year and they work for half the year. They'll go to GTCC one day a week, and they'll work here four days a week."

"This is something good, it's free, and it's very helpful for our children and our future,” said parent Ana Caballero.

The program is addressing a need that if not met, could send jobs like those at Harriss and Covington overseas.

"Us old timers aren't going to be here much longer,” said community developer Joel Leonard. “We've got to have the pipeline where we hand it to them or they move on."

"There are jobs here, but there aren't enough trained individuals coming out of school to maintain those,” McNair explained.

Company leaders are hoping to fill that skills gap, ideally taking students that know nothing about manufacturing and having well-trained, and high-skilled employees once they're finished with the program.

"We're going to have people that are going to have the level of senior technician,” McNair said.

It’s an opportunity alleviating uncertainty for the next generation and its future employers.

"This is very important to learn early, so that later on you can get a job,” said student Daniel Echeverria.

The program is open to Guilford County Schools’ juniors and seniors, but they must attend one of the following upcoming open houses to be eligible:

  • Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 6:30 PM-8:30 PM – TE Connectivity, 719 Pegg Rd., Greensboro
  • Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 6:30 PM-8:30 PM – The Quantum Group, 5280 National Center Dr., Colfax))

You can also find more information by visiting http://gapnc.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/gapnc.