Apprenticeship 2000 is one of the very best apprenticeship programs in North Carolina and sets a high standard of excellence for other programs. I'm impressed by what a great program these five companies, along with NCDOL and Central Piedmont Community College has set up. It's a win-win situation.

Apprentices leave the program well-trained with an associate's degree in Manufacturing Technology and are guaranteed a job. The businesses gain workers trained specifically in the skills they need.

Our state's economy is in need of skilled workers and apprenticeship programs like Apprenticeship 2000 are helping meet that need. I encourage other businesses to look at the success story of Apprenticeship 2000 and model their apprenticeship programs after the program at Ameritech, Blum, Daetwyler, SARSTEDT and Timken.