STOBER participates in student outreach at Mason County Career Magnet School

As a premier manufacturing employer in the Maysville area, STOBER Drives, Inc. places a priority on local student and apprenticeship programs.  One way STOBER recently expanded outreach and student recruitment efforts is through partnership and support with the Mason County Career Magnet school, which educates 194 students in grades 9-12 who attend local schools including Robertson County, Augusta, Bracken, and Mason County High Schools.

CJ Wenz, MCCMS instructor, met with representatives from STOBER including Marshall Bertram, Machinist Instructor, to discuss the school’s curriculum and the implementation of professional notebooks – binders the students use to store their journals, projects, etc.  STOBER decided to supply branded binders to the students and added stainless zipper-pulls with each student’s name engraved so they could easily identify them. 

Bertram visited the MCCMS morning and afternoon classes to deliver not only the binders, but also a presentation to the students about STOBER’s pre-apprentice and apprenticeship programs.

STOBER’s pre-apprenticeship program is designed for high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 and is recognized by the Kentucky Department of Labor.  Working 15 hours per week, pre-apprentices rotate through multiple departments at STOBER, giving them hands-on experience and the opportunity to narrow their career interests.  Pre-apprentices are paid an hourly wage that increases over time and receive a Journeyman’s certificate and the end of the program.

Apprenticeships at STOBER are designed for degree-seeking students who work 30 hours per week and attend college or trade school 10 hours per week.  Apprentices receive full-time pay and STOBER benefits while enrolled in the program, plus their school expenses are paid in full by the company.  The STOBER apprenticeship program began in 2005 and 8 out of 10 apprenticeship graduates currently hold significant leadership roles within STOBER today.

STOBER hopes the partnership with MCCMS will help gain local student interest and share awareness of the opportunities for students at STOBER. 

The current MCCMS building opened in 2020 with pathway options for students that include construction technology, machine tool, electricity, auto technology, health sciences, and welding.  The school is one of 53 centers across Kentucky serving high schoolers who are seeking industry certifications.

To learn more about STOBER’s student opportunities, click the link below or contact Joe Hiatt, STOBER Apprentice Coordinator, at joey.hiatt@stober.com.