Northeast State Community College welcomed our newest apprentice from Snap-on Tools Elizabethton at an official apprenticeship signing ceremony held May 18 at the Snap-on Elizabethton facility.
Snap-on associate Brian Bailiff, of Kingsport, represents the newest apprentice to join the program sponsored by the College’s Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing (RCAM). He enters the CNC Machinist apprenticeship path.
“This apprenticeship is going to help me grow in my career,” said Bailiff, who joined Snap-on in 2020. “The journeyman’s card is a huge credential in the machining world.”
The RCAM team established the Registered Apprenticeship Program through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship. The initiative enabled RCAM to provide Advanced Manufacturing registered apprenticeships in partnership with employers around the College’s service region.
RCAM provides the structure and processes for employers to take advantage of the apprenticeship workforce development model. The journeyman machinist credential is available through the U.S. Department of Labor. The journeyman credential serves as a professional passport for those who earn it. Per all apprenticeship nominees, Bailiff moved through the testing and interview process prior to his acceptance into the program.
“It is a life-changing event,” said RCAM executive director, Heath McMillian, recalling his own apprenticeship experience. “It is about what you, as employers, need when we develop these apprenticeships.”
Bailiff is no stranger to machining and skilled crafting work. You could say it runs in the family. His grandfather relocated to northeast Tennessee from Michigan in the 1980s. He founded his own machining company, Lynx Machine & Tool in Surgoinsville. Their family’s company served as a machined parts vendor to regional and national manufacturing customers for more than 35 years. Bailiff learned his machining skills there and has 15 years programming experience.
“Our family’s business provided parts for companies like Snap-on among many others,” said Bailiff. “A lot of machining involves serving companies to keep their machines running and keep their products moving out.”
Northeast State and Snap-on Tools first came together in December 2019 to sign the first registered apprenticeship agreement between the College and the company. An associate entering the registered apprenticeship program must meet minimum levels within WorkKeys assessments, abide by the standards of the signed apprenticeship agreement, and demonstrate progress on the job. Apprentices accumulate credit for on-the-job training and job-related education that can be earned through college coursework or customized training provided by Northeast State.
“Working while you are learning is important with an apprenticeship,” said Dr. Sam Rowell, vice president of Economic and Workforce Development at Northeast State. “Working with someone who has that experience allows you to learn from them and apply what you learn in the classroom.”
The Elizabethton Snap-on manufacturing facility employs more than 400 people dedicated to producing hand tools sold throughout the world. As an Authorized Training Agent, Snap-on agrees to rotate apprentices in the various processes of the skilled occupation, pay apprentice(s) the percentage of journey wage rate, and evaluate the progress of apprentices before they advance in position. An employer’s master craft professional also mentors an apprentice as he or she continues moving forward in expertise.
“Ever since I started here it was a goal of mine to get this program started,” said Robin Pritchard, human resources manager at Snap-on Elizabethton. “I believe this will be critical as our need for machinists increases.”
Machining touches almost every part of human life. Machines and devices require specialized parts of all material types to come together as a finished product. Snap-on Elizabethton plant manager Jon Carley noted that two Snap-on machinists recently retired taking 40-plus years of experience with them. That knowledge base is not easily replaced, he said. The apprenticeship program provides a pipeline for these positions.
“Skilled trades are very important to what we do,” said Carley. “We are going to have to rely on training our own associates like Brian to help us succeed in the future. We hope to keep this partnership going for a long time.”
Bailiff’s wife Candace, daughter Alayna, and son Liam accompanied him to the signing. The day marks the first step forward on his journey to journeyman.
“This is a huge opportunity for me and my family, also,” said Bailiff. “Four years from now my job security will be even better.”
The Northeast State at RCAM team (from left) Health McMillian; Dr. Stephanie Barham; Mike Buckzkowski; Brian Bailiff; Jo Starling; Cindy Necessary; Christy Parks; and Dr. Sam Rowell.
(From left) Jon Carley, Robin Pritchard, Brian Bailiff, Dave Bellessa, and Ben Larkin
Northeast State Community College welcomed our newest apprentice from Snap-on Tools Elizabethton at an official apprenticeship signing ceremony held May 18 at the Snap-on Elizabethton facility.
Snap-on associate Brian Bailiff, of Kingsport, represents the newest apprentice to join the program sponsored by the College’s Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing (RCAM). He enters the CNC Machinist apprenticeship path.
“This apprenticeship is going to help me grow in my career,” said Bailiff, who joined Snap-on in 2020. “The journeyman’s card is a huge credential in the machining world.”
The RCAM team established the Registered Apprenticeship Program through the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship. The initiative enabled RCAM to provide Advanced Manufacturing registered apprenticeships in partnership with employers around the College’s service region.
RCAM provides the structure and processes for employers to take advantage of the apprenticeship workforce development model. The journeyman machinist credential is available through the U.S. Department of Labor. The journeyman credential serves as a professional passport for those who earn it. Per all apprenticeship nominees, Bailiff moved through the testing and interview process prior to his acceptance into the program.
“It is a life-changing event,” said RCAM executive director, Heath McMillian, recalling his own apprenticeship experience. “It is about what you, as employers, need when we develop these apprenticeships.”
Bailiff is no stranger to machining and skilled crafting work. You could say it runs in the family. His grandfather relocated to northeast Tennessee from Michigan in the 1980s. He founded his own machining company, Lynx Machine & Tool in Surgoinsville. Their family’s company served as a machined parts vendor to regional and national manufacturing customers for more than 35 years. Bailiff learned his machining skills there and has 15 years programming experience.
“Our family’s business provided parts for companies like Snap-on among many others,” said Bailiff. “A lot of machining involves serving companies to keep their machines running and keep their products moving out.”
Northeast State and Snap-on Tools first came together in December 2019 to sign the first registered apprenticeship agreement between the College and the company. An associate entering the registered apprenticeship program must meet minimum levels within WorkKeys assessments, abide by the standards of the signed apprenticeship agreement, and demonstrate progress on the job. Apprentices accumulate credit for on-the-job training and job-related education that can be earned through college coursework or customized training provided by Northeast State.
The Elizabethton Snap-on manufacturing facility employs more than 400 people dedicated to producing hand tools sold throughout the world. As an Authorized Training Agent, Snap-on agrees to rotate apprentices in the various processes of the skilled occupation, pay apprentice(s) the percentage of journey wage rate, and evaluate the progress of apprentices before they advance in position. An employer’s master craft professional also mentors an apprentice as he or she continues moving forward in expertise.
“Ever since I started here it was a goal of mine to get this program started,” said Robin Pritchard, human resources manager at Snap-on Elizabethton. “I believe this will be critical as our need for machinists increases.”
Machining touches almost every part of human life. Machines and devices require specialized parts of all material types to come together as a finished product. Snap-on Elizabethton plant manager Jon Carley noted that two Snap-on machinists recently retired taking 40-plus years of experience with them. That knowledge base is not easily replaced, he said. The apprenticeship program provides a pipeline for these positions.
“Skilled trades are very important to what we do,” said Carley. “We are going to have to rely on training our own associates like Brian to help us succeed in the future. We hope to keep this partnership going for a long time.”
Bailiff’s wife Candace, daughter Alayna, and son Liam accompanied him to the signing. The day marks the first step forward on his journey to journeyman.
“This is a huge opportunity for me and my family, also,” said Bailiff. “Four years from now my job security will be even better.”
To learn more about available apprenticeship opportunities, visit the RCAM website at https://manufacturingfuture.net/.
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