Highlands High School

Highlands High School & Oberg Industries: Junior Apprentice Advantage Program

The Junior Apprentice Advantage (JAA) program is a new educational initiative offered to seniors at Highlands High School. This program is a partnership between Oberg Industries and Highlands School District to offer students a head start learning the technological skills required to pursue a career in the challenging and lucrative advanced manufacturing industry.

Here’s a way to explore your enthusiasm for STEM courses.  Students who exhibit select aptitudes and continue to demonstrate proficiency in the JAA curriculum work towards preferred placement in Oberg Industries’ state-certified Apprenticeship Program. This curriculum consists of Computer Aided Design (CAD), Geometric Tolerance and Dimensioning, Measurement Science (Metrology), Advanced Geometry/Trigonometry, and Academic English 12 (educates and prepares students with required communications skills used in today’s manufacturing environment).  All JAA courses are taught by Highland’s faculty in conjunction with traditional academic classes. Additionally, students travel to Oberg’s facilities two days each month during the school year for lesson-specific, job shadowing, and hands-on learning experiences working with Oberg’s skilled crafts people. This special pre-apprenticeship program is offered to participating Highlands High School seniors at “no cost”.

Students who complete the JAA program courses in good academic standing and satisfy Oberg’s apprenticeship entrance requirements will be offered preferred placement as full-time apprentices at Oberg Industries upon graduation from high school. In addition, if the student is selected and completes Oberg’s apprenticeship program, each candidate will receive a college certificate and college credits from Butler County Community College that can be applied to a college degree. “This is an exciting opportunity for our students to learn hands-on, develop a plan for their futures, and contribute to a global market right in their hometown community,” said Dr. Michael Bjalobok, Superintendent of Highlands School District.

If you have never considered a career path other than college or were not aware of the wide-range of success connected to advanced manufacturing…now is your chance! There is a growing shortage of qualified candidates for precision manufacturing openings according to the U.S. Department of Labor. More than 500 yearly job openings are projected for highly skilled precision manufacturing workers over the next decade.

The Junior Apprentice Advantage is off to a promising start and we are looking for more students to participate beginning in the Fall semester. Alex Telford, a graduate of the first JAA class and current Oberg apprentice, commented, “The JAA classes, especially advanced math, gave me a head start to begin working for Oberg as an apprentice machinist. My senior year was the best because I had a clear focus to achieve an attainable goal while still in high school. ”

JUNIORS! FOR MORE DETAILS, CONTACT YOUR HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR.