For over 25 years, the Youth Apprenticeship Program has been a part of The Raymond Corporation’s commitment to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education and encouraging young talent to explore career paths in manufacturing. Coordinated through the program provides a hands-on, experiential approach to learning for junior and senior high school students.

On May 17, 2018, Raymond recognized three high school seniors from Greene High School who spent two years contributing to the Youth Apprenticeship Program at its headquarters in Greene, N.Y. The apprenticeship program at Raymond allowed the students to experience what careers are available in the material handling industry. The student apprentices — Coy Austin, Gray Reid, and Dominic Williams — showcased the projects they participated in and any outcomes they achieved. They also discussed their new skills acquired as a result of the program, highlighting increased knowledge of corporate logistics, lean manufacturing, IT, and engineering.

“As the manufacturing skills gap widens, we hope this apprenticeship helped the students see the breadth of career paths available in this profession and gain the skill sets necessary to succeed in the future,” said Heidi Foster, coordinator of the Youth Apprenticeship Program, Raymond. “With today’s e-commerce pressures to meet faster supply chain response times, finding skilled labor will be critical to keeping companies competitive.”

Raymond will welcome six new apprentices to the program in September 2018:

Greene Central School, New York:
Ashley Kenyon, Rising Senior 
Daniel Kovalev, Rising Senior 
Nathaniel Erickson, Rising Junior 
Jarod Likens, Rising Junior

Maine-Endwell School District, New York: 
Danielle Edwards, Rising Senior

Chenango Valley School District, New York: 
Eric Brom, Rising Senior