Thanks in part to a meeting last October with the Macomb County Business Development team, Eclipse Mold in Clinton and Chesterfield townships now has a state-approved apprenticeship program.
Preliminary discussions took place at the annual Manufacturing Day in which Eclipse Mold was one of the many hosts across Macomb County.
A 44-year-old company, Eclipse Mold is a provider of quality-assured, self-engineered mold-making and injection molding services.
The company’s main concern in 2021 was its urgent need for toolmakers, since many of their current employees would be retiring in the next couple of years.
Macomb’s BD team and a Michigan Works! representative met with Eclipse Mold in November last year and then again in December with a Michigan Works! apprenticeship specialist and Macomb Community College to discuss the process of getting a toolmaker apprenticeship approved and in place.
Over several months, Macomb’s BD team, Michigan Works!, Macomb Community College and Eclipse Mold kept in contact to answer any questions the company might have and to ensure the process to certification was moving smoothly.
Michigan Works! played a key role in providing Eclipse Mold with a roadmap to the program and a blueprint for getting it started.
In mid-May, Eclipse Mold’s apprenticeship program became certified by the state. The company has already hired one apprentice and is looking to bring on three more.
If your company is interested in developing an apprenticeship program, call our Business Development team at 586-469-5285.