Apprenticeship

You are here

Pioneer is very proud of the men and women employees we nominate for the apprenticeship program. The program is offered in partnership with the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) and local community colleges in the Pierce and King County regions. The program provides occupational skills training that combines 93% supervised on-the-job training experience with 7% classroom instruction.

Men and women have the opportunity to earn their sheet metal fabrication certificate in two years, or CNC operator (master machinist / journeyman) status in four years. CNC machinists can then continue on for a fifth year in Tools and Dies if they are seeking to further their education. To become a journeyman, the apprentice must finish four years of satisfactory progression through the program, as demonstrated by proper rotation of work progresses (OJT) and passing of corresponding classes. It is a proven way to train people for careers in the aerospace, aviation and advanced manufacturing industries that demand a wide range of skills, knowledge, and independent judgment.

Meet a Few of Pioneer’s Apprentices

Harold graduated from our Roadmap to Success job-readiness program and Manufacturing Academy while he was participating in a drug court program. For over five years, he has worked at Pioneer Industries and he is one of our employees currently...

Navigating Many Barriers After Prison

When I was released from prison my probation officer dropped me off at a homeless shelter in downtown Seattle. I was left alone to find a job and housing, and rebuild my...

Pioneer hires individuals who have a criminal history, as well as people who have never been justice-involved. Arturo shares his experience in working with other employees who were formerly incarcerated and breaks down the...

I knew if I was serious about making a positive change in my life, I needed to get out of my comfort zone. When I started feeling uneasy about my new choices I had to face the facts that my past ways and many of the people I hung out with...

I may have had a past that I am not proud of, but I have been making-up for lost time. It is really amazing now to actually have a vision of the potential that is in store for me if I continue with my work at Pioneer and the apprenticeship...

Being at work every day at 6:00 AM isn’t easy – but there is a future in it. Getting high was a dead-end.

Tommy grew up in a big family with three brothers and two sisters in Grays Harbor on Washington State’s coast. He was involved...

In June 2016, Sean became Pioneer’s first apprentice to graduate in the four-year Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (AJAC) program to become a journeyman/master machinist. Bravo Sean!

Washington State funded the...

“Over the past year, I have learned a lot – including how to love myself. I have really stayed on the right track this time and I can say that I am proud of my accomplishments. Every direction I turn Pioneer has supported and helped me...

Who says that an individual who served the majority of his/her life in prison can't succeed after release?

Greg’s Correction Officer introduced him to Pioneer after he was released from serving 30 years in prison and needed...

Abram had been locked up for nearly half of his life. The last time he was in prison he made up his mind – he was not going to give the system one more second of his life after his release.

"When you are tired of things not...

Pages