GASTON COLLEGE WELCOMES APPRENTICESHIP 321 CLASS: Students receive job-specific training and a cost-free education from Gaston College while earning a salary from local employers.

In its fourth year, the Gaston College Apprenticeship 321 program is still going strong, welcoming its latest class in September last year. The program is designed to offer participants job-specific training through Gaston College while also earning a salary from local employers.

The program welcomed 16 new students into the current program, bringing the total number of students participating up to 29. These students choose among the three apprenticeship levels: Pre-Apprenticeship, which caters to high school juniors and seniors, Advanced Manufacturing and Paramedic Medicine.

Since September 2015, seven individuals have graduated from the program and are now working in the advanced-manufacturing industry thanks to skills they learned. Currently, 15 local companies participate in the program to allow students the ability to gain hands-on experience in their industry.

Certified nursing assistant program students can also take advantage of the Apprenticeship 321 program, working with CaroMont staff to gain on-the-job experience while also learning through classroom, lab and clinical experience. Once completed, students can apply for listing as a Nurse Aide II by the North Carolina Board...