Chattanooga’s Volkswagen plant today graduated 14 students from a pair of apprenticeship programs which officials say help bridge the skills gap.
Graduation from one of the three-year programs, in which participants study either automation or car mechatronics, led to job offers to all the students, said Sebastian Patta, executive vice president of human resources for the plant.
“Why import talent when you can create your own,” Patta told graduates and families during an hour-long ceremony at the plant where workers are gearing up to produce a new American-made sport utility vehicle later this year.
The program’s are based on a dual education system that combines vocational classroom education with paid, on-the-job training.
Graduates in the automation mechatronics program are trained to maintain the electrical, informational and mechanical systems in the factory.