LBWCC announces apprenticeship with Covington Gin

Published 7:30 am Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Covington Gin Company, Inc. has become an employer partner in LBW Community College’s registered diesel mechanic apprenticeship through the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship (AOA).

“Registered apprenticeships are an extremely valuable tool for our communities to take advantage of,” said LBW Director of Workplace Chad Sutton.

“Registered apprenticeships offer students a training plan that has been vetted by the industry. What better way for a student to learn than to be on the job mastering competencies?”

Blake Brown, a second-year diesel mechanic student at LBW, will be working for Covington Gin performing mechanical duties related to his diesel mechanics apprenticeship.

“What we are training Blake on here is not just diesel mechanic. It goes into other areas that conform to the type of equipment we have,” said Lamar Partain, Covington Gin Operations Manager.

“This is the first time we have participated in an apprentice program, and we are really glad that it’s available.”

“One of the advantages of having a registered apprenticeship program is that each employer gets to set up the unique, on-the-job training that nobody else may know how to do, but it’s backed up by the foundational training that the college can provide,” said AOA Director Josh Laney.

“Ultimately, our goal is to make sure that companies like yours are able to capitalize on the individualized training it takes. Industry has the opportunity to create a pipeline of talent by supporting our AOA registered apprenticeships at LBW,” Sutton added. “What better way is there for the industry to support our students and school while building their next generation of industry leaders?”

For more information about LBW’s apprenticeship program, contact Chad Sutton at csutton@lbwcc.edu.