WILLIAMSTON, Mich. — Applications have opened for the Bekum Apprenticeship Class in Williamston, giving students an opportunity to learn a trade and gain a free education.
- Students can gain manufacturing experience while working toward becoming the next generation of highly-skilled employees.
- The program covers all classes at Lansing Community College, allowing students to graduate debt-free.
- Apprentices often achieve milestones like homeownership by their early twenties, according to company leadership.
WATCH: Bekum Corporation offers free education through apprenticeship program
I visited Bekum Corporation in Williamston, where they offer a program for students to attend college and learn skills that lead directly to employment.
Each student gains manufacturing experience while working to join the next generation of highly-skilled employees.
Logan Hele, a student in the apprenticeship program, shared that both his father and brother participated in the program before him.
"Electrical work, my brother is also in the program. I've seen the stuff he does. I find it very interesting, so I would love to get in it and try it out for myself," Hele said.
Hele was exposed to electrical work at a young age, and for Bekum's President and COO, Steve London, helping students succeed is a priority.
"When we have students come into the program, they're 17 and 18 years old, they're very young, and they're just learning. It's a wonderful experience to watch them grow and mature as they make it through the program. Many times, by the time an apprentice graduates, they've already bought their first home, which is fantastic, by the age of 21, 22 or 23," London said.
London told me the program helps build Bekum's workforce.
The apprenticeship program gives teenagers an opportunity to learn a skill and gain their associate's degree, with all classes at Lansing Community College free for students, allowing them to leave school debt-free.
For more information on the program, visit FOX47NEWS.COM.
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