Apprenticeship program gives employees tools for success

Photo by Daniel Dubois

Jeron McLaurine was a file clerk in the Medical Center for 15 years before participating in Plant Operation's plumbing apprenticeship program in 1992. McLaurine is now a licensed journeyman plumber.

by Jessica Howard

Over the years, University Plant Operations has developed several apprenticeship programs to help members of the staff further their professional development. The programs are widely regarded as win-win situations for all involved: when a staff member completes the program, he or she is educated in a specialized trade and receives a promotion. In turn, the University gains another highly skilled staff member.

The free apprenticeship programs were designed to teach existing employees specialized trades. Those who qualify can choose to embark upon one of three general categories: custodial, grounds keeping and skilled crafts. The categories are then divided into several specialized disciplines including advanced floor care, carpentry, landscape gardening and plumbing.

According to Bob Camperlino, director of University Plant Operations and director of the skilled crafts apprenticeship, the programs not only help employees earn higher pay; more importantly, it gives them the opportunity to take ownership of their future at Vanderbilt.

Jeff Bratton was beginning to burn out from his job writing parking tickets on campus. Instead of quitting, he enrolled in the skilled crafts apprenticeship program in 1992. After four years attending night classes and working daily with skilled electricians in the University Electric shop, Bratton was qualified to earn the title "journeyman electrician." He's now a skilled worker with highly specialized responsibilities.

"The thing is, there's more to electricity that what meets the eye, and that's the drive that's keeping me interested in it," he said. "When you get into it and you want to learn it, there's just something about it."

Through his hard work, he's found a more satisfying career with better pay.

"What you put into it is what you get out of it," he said.

"We just don't have helper positions. What we need are qualified, capable people," said Camperlino. "The more skills you bring to the job, the more opportunities you have."

Of Camperlino's 88 employees, about 10 percent have participated in one of the skilled crafts apprenticeships. Spaces for the apprenticeships exist only when directors anticipate future openings in advanced positions at Plant Operations. The other reason is the obvious commitment required for participants.

"As we begin to look down the road to see when positions are going to be open, we would rather fill them with our own people, than people on the street," Camperlino said. "We don't want to put people through [the program] unless they know they have a job when they come out."

Not everyone who signs up is accepted into the program, which begins with an application process that includes an evaluation by a committee. The committee looks for applicants who appear to have the greatest chance for success and show a high level of dedication.

Once participants enroll, the skilled crafts program is challenging. Participants are required to attend night classes twice a week for four years at a vocational school covering a specific trade, complete assignments and take tests. Classes cover building code regulations, how to read blueprints and the ins-and-outs of specific trades.

The four-year skilled crafts program also consists of extensive on-the-job-training with staff members experienced in their trade. Many graduates of the program found this to be the most valuable part of the experience.

"[The classes] helped, but really the on-job training for me was a lot more learning than the actual school was," Jason Purnell, a lead carpenter and alumnus of the program. He began working in the University carpentry shop part time in 1989. After completing the four-year carpentry apprenticeship, he was promoted to a full-time position co-supervising a team of painters and carpenters. He has been trained to make beautiful, functional cabinets as well as build regulation goal posts on the football field.

Eight staff members have participated in the skilled crafts apprenticeship program since its launch in 1989. The custodial and grounds keeping programs were implemented in the 1990s. Directed by Mark Petty, director of general services, more than 100 have participated in the two programs so far. The custodial program consists of a six-month program taught by University Plant Operations. The grounds keeping program lasts two years; participants must complete a master gardener course at the local agriculture extension office to be eligible for advancement.

Camperlino said it's this kind of upward mobility that keeps program participants at Vanderbilt and not leaving to work elsewhere. He boasts a perfect record for retention of workers who completed the program.

Jeron McLaurine worked as a file clerk for the Medical Center for 15 years before he applied for the plumbing apprenticeship program in 1992. After completing the program, he became a licensed "journeyman plumber," a chance he said has greatly impacted his life.

"I felt stuck; I was stuck," he said of his outlook before enrolling in the program. "It's been an uplift not only financially, but it's also been a life-changing experience."

Bratton added, "Everybody ought to have some skilled course they go into ... somewhere along the line, you are going to use it in your life."

The experience has also been rewarding for Camperlino. He said seeing staff members gain confidence and learn new skills after completing the programs makes his job worthwhile.

"Look at what Vanderbilt's got now in terms of resources we developed in house," he said. "We took care of our own people, we provided opportunities for folks in lower grade levels to make self improvement to accomplish these kind of things."