As our schools end a difficult few months of learning from home, Franklin is still moving forward with our manufacturing initiative to pair up our students with local companies to develop internships while in school and follow on apprenticeships after high school graduation.

We held our Manufacturing Night in October with five companies: Watts, PCC Structural, Vitex, Sealite, and Eptam, whose outstanding presentations provided a real education about manufacturing in the 21st century.

State Representative Ken Wells of Andover invited us to the first Andover Dialogue, where we met with the German Consul General of Boston and the German American Chamber of commerce of New York City. The German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) Apprenticeship Program is based on the German National Apprenticeship System. This program, already in place in several United States’ cities, has graduated over 100 students with solid manufacturing credentials, an Associate Degree, and a follow-on job that could well be a full career.

To help get this started, Ken was instrumental in getting bipartisan support in the New Hampshire House to look at this successful apprenticeship model by recommending a committee to study this initiative that would positively impact many students in Franklin, Tilton, Belmont, Andover, Salisbury, Danbury, and other areas.

To be able to provide highly qualified manufacturing students and future fully trained employees to our local industries is a win-win for all, and will set the stage for companies to look at Franklin, Andover, Salisbury, Danbury, and beyond as potential locations for operations.

We are in the early stages but have already held several conversations with the GACC, State Representative Wells, and others, as well as the local community college. Such a partnership between our students and manufacturers will help all of our communities move forward. Let’s get started!