Oberg Honors Inaugural JAA Graduates

FREEPORT, PA – Oberg Industries, a full-service contract manufacturer of precision metal components, tooling and stamping assemblies, proudly recognizes and honors the first graduates of their Junior Apprentice Advantage (JAA) Program.

Oberg is known for their acclaimed Registered Apprenticeship Training Program which was established in the early 1950s to guarantee that the company would have a steady supply of highly skilled professionals. Due to a growing shortage of qualified candidates for advanced manufacturing openings, Oberg partnered with Highlands High School, part of the Highlands School District in nearby Natrona Heights, PA, to create a unique community program to bridge this skilled talent gap and formed the Junior Apprentice Advantage (JAA) program. JAA was designed to directly connect high school students to industry-specific training that mirrors the apprenticeship experience.

The JAA program, offered to Highlands High School seniors, was first introduced during the 2014-2015 school year. Five senior high students participated in a select course of study that was designed to help them develop industry-specific technological skills and begin to immerse them into the industry culture and values. Throughout the school year, JAA students were also given access to Oberg’s manufacturing operations for lesson –specific enrichment and job shadowing experiences that allowed them to work with Oberg’s skilled craftspeople. Students who successfully completed the JAA courses in good academic standing and satisfied Oberg’s apprenticeship entrance requirements would be pre-qualified for hire as full-time Apprentices at Oberg Industries upon graduation. Approximately 15 students will be participating in the JAA Program during the 2015-2016 school year.

David Bonvenuto, Oberg’s President and CEO along with Eric Oberg, Chairman of the Board for Oberg Industries, participated in the Highland’s Senior Awards Day celebration and honored all five JAA students by presenting them with a framed certificate of completion for their JAA work and an offer of employment to work for Oberg Industries. “Both Highlands and Oberg felt strongly that this program would provide each student with a head start toward a challenging and lucrative career in advanced manufacturing,” said Mr. Bonvenuto. “We are glad to be part of this rewarding partnership and look forward to continuing to help students and parents realize that advanced manufacturing is an excellent career choice. We are especially proud of these five young men of the inaugural JAA class who will begin working for us as Oberg Apprentices.”