Elanco, Iowa Central team up

New apprenticeships start

Three local men are on the path to careers in industrial maintenance thanks to a new apprenticeship program offered by Elanco, an animal health company, and Iowa Central Community College.

Boyce Harris, Malaki Pettigrew and Jesus Gutierrez are the first participants in the Earn To Learn Apprenticeship program.

They will be paid fulltime wages while working to earn a technical certificate, according to Scott Schultz, executive director and site head at the Elanco facility, 800 Fifth St. N.W. The intent is to offer them fulltime jobs as maintenance mechanics at the completion of the program, he added.

Shelly Blunk, dean of economic development and continuing education at Iowa Central, described the program as a "great example of how education and industry can work together to address workforce needs."

The program and its three apprentices were introduced Wednesday morning at the Elanco plant.

Harris, who has worked for Elanco for 16 years, wanted to get into a maintenance mechanic position.

"When I saw it, it had my name written all over it," he said of the program.

Pettigrew said he has a handful of relatives who already work at the plant, and added he is thankful for the opportunity to join them

"I'm ready to get things done and taken care of," he said.

Gutierrez said he was grateful to be in the program, which he said 'sounded like a good opportunity to get my foot in the door."

The apprenticeship is a three-year program. Blunk said the three will spend time at the Elanco plant and in the classrooms and shops of the Iowa Central campus.

At the plant, they will rotate between various sites, such as the boiler room. They will spend six months at each site.

This is the first time the apprenticeships have been offered, and it is considered a pilot program.