The IMT Apprenticeship Program
The IMT apprenticeship is a nationally recognized apprenticeship that is a basis for multiple career pathways within the advanced manufacturing sector and is easily tailored for different manufacturing environments, different-sized companies, and different types of manufacturing schedules. The purpose of the IMT apprenticeship is to build the skills and competencies of workers in manufacturing production positions, and to prepare those workers to participate in and complete apprenticeships for more advanced and highly skilled manufacturing occupations.
The IMT program follows a hybrid training approach that integrates time-based learning and competency-based training providing 3,000 hours of structured technical instruction, comprised of 2,736 hours of OJL from experienced mentors assigned by the employer, and 264 hours of related technical instruction courses that span manufacturing technology systems and processes, industrial communications, industrial math, industrial blueprint reading, and safety. One-hundred and ninety-two hours of the related instruction includes four modules of the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) Certified Production Technician curriculum. Each of these modules includes an exam that, once completed, earns an apprentice a Certified Production technician (CPT) certificate, which is nationally recognized. The instruction also includes courses on interpersonal skills, lean manufacturing, and practical problem solving. The additional hours of related technical instruction can be customized to meet each company’s specific technical needs.
Additionally, OJL in the IMT apprenticeship utilizes the supervision of a training mentor, as IMT apprentices are assigned tasks that build their skills and competencies in the full range of the production cycle within their company. Supervisors are guided by a detailed manual, also called a job book, that outlines the competencies required for different types of key skills, and that can be tailored by firms to meet their specific needs and systems (see Table 1.1). For instance, the IMT program trains production workers in settings as diverse as aerospace, foundries, transportation equipment manufacturing, and plastics fabrication, and each job book is customized to the employer’s needs.
IMT Job Book: Major Competencies
- Workplace Safety
- Interpret Product Specifications
- Set up, Inspect, and Adjust Product Equipment
- Operate Production Equipment
- Measure and Inspect Work
- Produce Quality Product
- Routine Equipment Maintenance
- Inventory and Material Processes
- Continuous Improvement Processes
- Trends and Current State of the Business
Source: Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership, Industrial Manufacturing Technician: Apprenticeship Training Guidelines
LIFT and the IMT
Established more than 25 years ago, LIFT is an Indiana-based workforce intermediary that works with employers and organized labor to develop workforce-readiness programs for the unemployed and underemployed, and it has expanded worker-centered sustainable workforce development program strategies that include apprenticeship and career pathway development. In 2015, LIFT began its partnership with JFF and is overseeing implementation and expansion of the IMT apprenticeship in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. By 2020, the project will register a minimum of 250 new IMT apprentices resulting in at least 125 journey workers over 5 years. LIFT brings experience in outreach, recruitment, and advocacy on behalf of employed, unemployed, and underemployed individuals. Within 2 years of this initiative, LIFT developed IMT apprenticeship programs for nearly 200 apprentices with seven employer sponsors, including the Benteler Automotive Corporation.