NASHUA – ApprenticeshipNH, a grant-funded initiative run by the Community College System of New Hampshire to develop apprenticeship programs with local businesses, announced recently a new collaboration with BAE Systems and Nashua Community College.

The new Precision Inspector Apprenticeship developed by BAE Systems kicks off July 12. The program will include 4,000 hours of paid on-the-job training and five weeks of full-time classroom instruction facilitated through NCC. The program also will include IPC-A-610 training and an industry-recognized certification.

Precision inspectors’ responsibilities include visually inspecting in-process and completed products. They also will use a variety of methods to accept, reject or rework defective or malfunctioning items. Training topics will include metrology, blueprint reading, geometric dimensioning and tolerance and visual inspection standards.

“This apprenticeship program is a unique opportunity for someone to enter an exciting career in a growing field, while also learning new skills that can be immediately put to use at one of New Hampshire’s largest employers,” said Emily Zeien, ApprenticeshipNH grant manager. “Through this collaboration with BAE Systems and NCC, precision inspector apprentices will earn an hourly wage for time spent learning in the classroom and training on the job.”

“We are very excited to work with ApprenticeshipNH to launch the first registered quality inspection apprenticeship program,” said Imtiaz Uddin, vice president of quality for BAE Systems’ electronic systems sector. “Not only will this help us bolster our talent pipeline, it will also allow us to provide education, employment opportunities and a potential career path to members of our community.”

The ApprenticeshipNH program, housed at the Community College System of NH and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, is assisting employers building registered apprenticeship programs in high-demand sectors including advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, biomedical technology, construction/infrastructure, health care, information technology and hospitality. The total funding of the ApprenticeshipNH initiative is $7.29 million with 99% funded through the following U.S. Department of Labor-Employment and Training Administration Grants at the dollar amounts indicated: Apprenticeship State Expansion Grant, $1.35 million; State Apprenticeship Expansion Grant, $2.05 million; American Association of Community Colleges Grant, $450,000; and State Apprenticeship Expansion 2020 Grant, $3.45 million. Additional scholarship support of less than 1% is provided by third-party scholarship grants for programs developed through the ASE and SAE grants.

BAE Systems Inc. and its 33,000 people are part of a global defense, aerospace and security company with 87,800 employees worldwide. They deliver products and services for air, land, sea and space, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions, and customer support and services.

To learn more, visit apprenticeshipnh.com or contact Vanessa Rashid, apprentice outreach coordinator, at vrashid@ccsnh.edu or 603-289-9429.