The Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC), in partnership with South Seattle Community College, offered a five credit class teaching skills in trigonometry, blueprint drawing, and blueprint reading. Taught by AJAC apprenticeship instructor Terry Hegel, the 22 students meet in Seattle Lighthouse’s boardroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from January 31st to April 19th.
Of the 22 students in the class, half are low vision. Lighthouse employees Mike Beeksma, Nathan Greenwood, and Dan Porter are attending the class as part of their third year of AJAC apprenticeship. The Lighthouse accommodated low vision students by providing tests and handouts in large print. The textbook was scanned by Karen Park and Heidi Aulenbach of the Document Imaging Section at the Lighthouse to create an e-book for students to adjust to their visual needs.
The AJAC creates aerospace and manufacturing apprenticeships to provide occupational skills training that combines supervised on-the-job training experience with classroom instruction. To assure success in achieving a high level of diversity among apprentices, AJAC strives to remove barriers and challenges that would otherwise keep someone from becoming an apprentice. AJAC currently has education and training programs in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett/Snohomish, Spokane, and the Tri-Cities. Upon finishing the program, Journey-level workers receive a journey card and certificate that is nationally recognized and respected by aerospace, aviation, and advanced manufacturing industry employers.
“The skills I’ve gained in the AJAC program through manufacturing basics and lean manufacturing has helped me improve my efficiency and problem solving abilities during production. I’m also learning math skills that are proving to be very vital to my every day work. Overall, I believe that all of the new skills I’m picking up through the AJAC program will greatly benefit me and my company.”
– Dan Porter, Machinist
