High School Students Graduate Manufacturers’ Association Pre-Apprenticeship Program
May 30, 2025The Manufacturers’ Association concluded its 8th program year on April 24, 2025 for its high school Pre-Apprenticeship program with a graduation ceremony hosted at Penn State York’s campus coinciding with National Apprenticeship Week on April 30.
The Association’s Pre-Apprenticeship program introduces high school students to advanced manufacturing careers in seven different trades and provides opportunities to pursue high wage and high demand careers locally. The program includes students from York, Lancaster, Perry, Chester, Dauphin, Cumberland and Lebanon counties, including the Milton Hershey School and several of the region’s Career and Tech High Schools.
This year’s Pre-Apprenticeship program graduated 78 students from across south central Pennsylvania. The recognition event included students receiving their state recognized Pre-Apprenticeship credential witnessed by invited guests, family members, program partners and local manufacturing employers Eden Tool and Tate. The program also included awarding the annual Carl Winters Jr. Memorial Scholarship which provides $1,000 in funds for further education or training in an industrial career. This year’s awardee is Hayden Barr-Yendall from Red Lion High School as part of the York County Alliance for Learning (YCAL) class, who plans to pursue a career in mechatronics at the York County School of Technology.
The scholarship was established in honor of Carl Winters Jr. after his passing in 2019. Winters was a tool and die maker by trade for over 50 years in the York area and the creator of the original pre apprenticeship program at the Manufacturers’ Association.
“Pre-Apprenticeships offer an excellent opportunity to introduce high-tech modern manufacturing careers to all students,” said Miranda Martz, the program’s Pre-Apprenticeship Coordinator at the Association. “The program also provides a pathway for advance placement in employer apprenticeships - accelerating high wage, high quality careers for graduates.”
Pre-apprenticeship programs are designed to offer classroom and hands-on learning specifically to train students to enter a registered apprenticeship program with an employer or continue their technical education. The Association’s program started in 2017 with a handful of students and since then has enrolled over 300 students across south central Pennsylvania in the skills program. Students receive several industry recognized credentials and upon graduation have the opportunity to enter registered apprenticeships with sponsoring employers while benefiting from advanced placement the pre-apprenticeship provides for graduates of the program.
The program is registered with the PA Department of Labor (L&I) and has received support from the state agency to expand the program across south central Pennsylvania. L&I estimates that on average, apprentices earn much higher starting wages after completion of programs and are on track to earn $300,000 more than those production workers without journey worker credentials over their careers.
For every dollar spent on apprenticeships, employers get an average of $1.47 back in increased productivity, according to the association. In addition to the PA Department of Labor, the program also partners with the Partnership for Career Development, York County Alliance for Learning, Chester County Intermediate Unit, Lancaster County Workforce Development Board and dozens of employers.
For more information contact:
The Manufacturers' Association
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