By Rick Green

Copyright keenesentinel

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded the Community College System of New Hampshire a $482,658 grant to support apprenticeship programs in the state.

This is the third yearly grant the state has received from the department, totaling $1.24 million, Karyn Yeatman, the system’s grant manager, said Monday. It is part of a five-year program, so the state is in line to receive similar grants in 2026 and 2027.

Registered apprentices receive classroom instruction, mentorship and on-the-job training. This gives them a chance to start a career, or transition into a new one, while earning money. Companies get increased access to new employees in a time of labor shortages.

There are now 3,530 apprentices in New Hampshire, up from 1,900 in 2015, according to federal statistics.

The current average wage for these apprentices is nearly $20 an hour.

Some apprentices are fresh out of high school, while others are older and looking to make a career change.

Hong Duong, 39, of Marlborough, is in the latter category.

She has a degree in education and was working in Sacramento, Calif., before becoming an apprentice at Bensonwood, a Walpole-based manufacturer of prefabricated buildings, about a year ago.

Now, instead of teaching students, she is operating heavy machinery that makes components for roofs, walls and floors, which are shipped to job sites to be assembled into new homes.

“I do like construction, and this allows me to problem-solve in a different way,” she said, adding her teaching background puts her in a good position to give instruction to newer apprentices.

She said apprenticeships were available in California, but they were typically offered through labor unions.

“I thought that with a smaller company, I would have better mentorship and a way to move within the company,” she said. “With union apprenticeships, you could move from company to company every few months. This way, I get to stay with the same company.

“I’m interested in all aspects of construction, so this is a really nice way to start at the ground level with a company.”

Duong hopes to stay at Bensonwood after her two-year apprenticeship ends. The program includes community college courses and classes at Keene State College. Grants are often available to defray tuition costs.

Bensonwood had 40 applicants for its six apprenticeship positions this year. The apprentices are full-time, paid employees who receive benefits, said Emily Benson, Bensonwood’s employee success officer.

“Seeing the people who come through the interview process, seeing who is interested in the program, has been really illuminating,” Benson said. “There are people like Hong who want to change careers, but there are also people who know they want some kind of career but don’t want to pay for a college degree and have to go into debt.”

Apprenticeships can also give people insight into a new career to see if it is something they really want to do. There are also pre-apprenticeship programs that expose high school students to careers they might want to pursue.

Benson said there are labor shortages in the building trades, and apprentice positions are a good way to recruit new workers.

Her parents founded Bensonwood, which has 150 employees. She is a former associate professor at Keene State College.

Other New Hampshire apprenticeships are offered in advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, transportation and logistics, information technology, biomedical technology, business and finance, education and child care, health care and hospitality.

The Community College System created ApprenticeshipNH as a workforce training program in 2017.

On its website, ApprenticeshipNH lists opportunities throughout the state. The program’s western hub, which includes Keene and the Monadnock Region, has 66 registered apprenticeship programs and 348 active apprentices.

Keene Community Education, a nonprofit, also offers apprenticeships.