Apprenticeships

Stop reading about our apprenticeships now unless you are interested in one of the following:

Getting a Journeyman’s Card certifying your breadth and depth of knowledge and setting you on the path for a successful and fulfilling career.
Use the company education benefit to get a certificate and/or degree debt-free + a job in an in-demand field after graduation.
Working at a job you love while getting an education paid for by the company.

If this seems like a good deal (it is!) — keep reading.

See why Pure Michigan chose Franchino Mold to be their featured employer in a video about starting a career in the Tool and Die industry:

Franchino Mold & Engineering has a rich history of working with high school students and those with less than 3 years work experience, training them for a successful career in the tool and die/manufacturing industry. Our candidates for our apprenticeships are from all over the region, and understand that their hard work in our 4-year apprenticeship program will give them valuable skills in a growing industry.

We have 3 ongoing apprenticeship programs: CNC Machinist Apprenticeships, Welding Apprenticeships & Mold Making Apprenticeships

Apprentices in either program can choose between two educational tracks:

Journeyman’s Card Track

This track consists of hybrid (online, classroom and shop floor credits) classes from Praeco Skills, our chosen educational provider, and requires 8,000 hours documented work hours of employment under the supervision of a current journeyman. All classes, books and fees are paid for by Franchino Mold & Engineering.

Journeyman’s Card + Associates Degree Track

This track will allow apprentices to earn both a Journeyman’s Card and an associate degree at the end of the program. The apprentice will complete the classes and training required (above) for the Journeyman’s Track, and will also take classes in an approved, degree-seeking program at any accredited community college. All classes, books and fees are paid for by Franchino Mold & Engineering (a 3.0 grade is required for all classes).

Generally, our apprentice candidates come to us from one of three areas:

Career Centers

Career Centers, such as the Wilson Talent Center in Mason, Ionia County Career Center and Clinton County RESA in St. Johns, focus on engineering/manufacturing, which includes engineering, precision machining and welding. Students at Career Centers are encouraged to apply for employment/apprenticeship in the spring of their senior year.

Current Community College Students

Current community college students enrolled in a STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) focused program may want to consider applying at FMEC at any point during their schooling. Current students accepted into the program will have all future educational costs covered by Franchino Mold & Engineering, and they will have the opportunity to apply for the apprenticeship program

1-3 Years Working Experience

Many of our successful apprentices come to us when they have a few years of work under their belt, and want to achieve more. We look for apprenticeship candidates who have 3 years or less of working experience in a mechanically-inclined field (for example, we have apprentices who have lived/worked on family farms, in auto repair shops and as handymen).

If you are interested in our apprenticeship program, please fill out our online Job Application form and put “apprenticeship” in the ‘Position Applied For’ field.