The Manufacturers' Association recently concluded the seventh year of its high school pre-apprenticeship program with a graduation ceremony hosted at Penn State York's campus during the national Youth Apprenticeship Week. The association's pre-apprenticeship program introduces high school students to advanced manufacturing occupations in seven trades and provides opportunities to pursue in-demand careers. The program includes students from York, Lancaster, Perry, Chester, Dauphin, Cumberland, and Lebanon counties, including the Milton Hershey School as well as career and technical high schools.

This year's pre-apprenticeship program graduated 70 students from across southcentral Pennsylvania. The recognition event included students receiving their state recognized pre-apprenticeship credential witnessed by invited guests, family members, program partners, and association employers. The program also included awarding the annual Carl Winters Jr. Memorial Scholarship, which provides $1,000 in funds for further education or training in an industrial career. This year's recipient is Cristian Saylor from Red Land High School in the West Shore School District. Cristian plans to pursue a career in mechatronics and attend HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College. The scholarship was established in honor of Carl Winters Jr. after his passing. Winters was a die and tool maker by trade for more than 50 years in the York area and the creator of the original pre-apprenticeship program at the Manufacturers' Association.

Pre-apprenticeship programs are designed to offer classroom and hands-on learning specifically to train students to enter a registered apprenticeship program with an employer or continue their technical education. The association's program started in 2017 with a handful of students and since then has enrolled more than 300 students across southcentral Pennsylvania in the skills program. Students receive several industry recognized credentials, and upon graduation, they have the opportunity to enter full registered apprenticeships with sponsoring employers while benefiting from advanced placement the pre-apprenticeship provides for graduates of the program.

The program is registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry and has received support from the state agency to expand the program across southcentral Pennsylvania. In addition, the pre-apprenticeship program partners with the Partnership for Career Development, York County Alliance for Learning, Chester County Intermediate Unit, the Lancaster County Workforce Development Board, and dozens of employers.