BLUFFTON, Ohio (WLIO) - Apprentices at GROB Systems Inc. in Bluffton spend two years in training, either in the mechanical or electrical pathway, followed by two years of job placement in a specific department at the facility. They also have the opportunity to be hired by GROB outright.
Each year, GROB hires approximately 20 to 40 apprentices from its on-site program each June and hires as many apprentices as it can guarantee a position for once their time in the program has ended.
Several past apprentices said the skills they learned in the program set them up for success by exposing them to different career paths.
"It's really basic. When you start, you learn actually how to use all your hand tools, you learn GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing), you learn how to operate manual machines, and then eventually we learned how to use CNC machines and coding," said Scott Gable, NC programming foreman at GROB.
"I would say it definitely did prepare a lot of the small little details you wouldn't really think about like organization, attention to detail," said Jared Zimmerly, a fluids technician with GROB. "We do with the mechanical side of things, like a block filing project that at the time seemed very monotonous and very annoying, but it helps, because you don't realize how many times you have to file a part into square and get something to meet tolerance, and I can do that now."
Each year, GROB hires approximately 20 to 40 apprentices from its on-site program each June and hires as many apprentices as it can guarantee a position for once their time in the program has ended.
These employees also noted that some of the skills they learned as apprentices are ones they continue to use on the job today.
"I use almost every skill that I used during the apprenticeship from the basic use of hand tools to GD&T and understanding machining processes, and the build process of our machines as well," said Gable. "The apprenticeship gave us an opportunity to understand what we work on, and how we're working on it. A lot of the lessons learned, actually, I've even used outside of the apprenticeship."
"They always were honest about organization and keeping our toolboxes nice and neat, and I still do that now, and it helps me get my job done well, because I know where my tools are at," said Zimmerly. "They train you from the ground up, and I think that they definitely take into consideration every walk of life and every person who has this knowledge or doesn't have that knowledge, I think it's a good fit for anybody who was willing to apply themselves."
GROB will hold an apprenticeship informational session at its Bluffton facility on Saturday, March 8. Registration and more information about the apprenticeship program can be found here: joingrob.com/apprentice/tours/
