GACCs
Skills Update
May 2019
Although August may feel like a long way away, experienced ICATT Network Companies know that it's time to move quickly to secure top apprenticeship candidates. Several of our companies have already found their apprentices for the fall cohort - congratulations!

If you haven't started working on your open fall positions yet, contact your ICATT team so that we can work together to promote, recruit, and evaluate candidates.


  • May 2019: Window of opportunity closes for reaching high school graduates
  • May 22-23 & 29-30, 2019: Train the Trainer, Illinois
  • May/June 2019: Apprentices begin trial employment period (recommended)
  • June 30, 2019: Deadline for new companies to join ICATT for the fall 2019 cohort
  • July 2019: Apprentice offer letters signed, if not earlier
  • August 2019: ICATT signing days at colleges; semester begins
  • September 5, 2019: Graduation of second ICATT cohort

Kind regards,

Virginia Attaway Rounds
Director, Skills Initiative & Apprenticeship Programs
Thanks to high school teacher Thomas Backes, Nicholas Christensen applied to the ICATT Apprenticeship Program, which opened the doors to life-changing opportunities and helped Nicholas gain skills for an in-demand profession. Learn more about Nicholas and his path to success at Krones Inc.


For further information, please visit our website or contact Ian Duncan.
Case Study: Hermle USA, Inc
For Hermle USA, Inc. , investing in apprenticeships has been an effective way to close the skills gap and build a strong pipeline of talent over time. Manuel Merkt, President/COO of Hermle USA, says companies often hire graduates from four-year programs, but they don’t work out because they lack experience. He explains that if you add up all the costs of hiring and rehiring, an apprenticeship easily pays for itself – and is a much more valuable investment. Watch our l atest video to hear about the ICATT Apprenticeship Program from Merkt and a Hermle apprentice.
For further information, please contact Virginia Rounds or call (312) 494-2163 .
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Litania Sports Group, with headquarters and manufacturing in Champaign, IL, is a family of companies manufacturing track and field equipment, goals and netting, and more.
Claussen Pickle Company was founded in 1870 and is based in Woodstock, IL. This household name offers everything from kosher dill to garlic to bread and butter pickles. The company Claussen Pickle Company operates as a subsidiary of The Kraft Heinz Company.
For further information, please contact Joshua Seeberg or call (312) 494-2170.
Please meet the newest additions to our GACC South team: Martin Feuckert and Gunther Knickel.

Martin is a certified apprenticeship trainer with a degree in industrial metalworks and has experience in CNC. He will be overseeing testing and exams and helping companies in their setup and execution of their apprenticeship programs.

Gunther has been living in the US since the 1990s and has worked with companies in Pennsylvania in various industries. He completed an apprenticeship as a boilermaker and has a degree in industrial welding as well as engine fitter. Gunther will be working as a consultant to colleges and companies in setting up and running their apprenticeship programs.
 
For further information, please visit our website or contact Nicole Heimann .
ICATT and GA CATT Network Companies can take advantage of reduced pricing to attend the SME Forum on Thursday, May 16, in Hoffmann Estates, IL, a conference focusing on best practices for small and midsize enterprises. 

One particular point of interest for many of our companies is the panel on Attracting and Retaining Talent in the Era of Millennials. Network Companies can register here – choose member pricing upon checkout.

For further information, please visit our website or contact Judit Ludwig-Janosy or call (312)-494-2176
We have a new format for our Train the Traine r seminar. Instead of 4 consecutive days, the seminar will be broken up into 2 days per week over 2 weeks.

Train the trainer gives supervisors the tools to communicate effectively with their apprentices and pass on their skills and knowledge. This seminar will result in an international certification based on German standards.
 SEMINAR FEE:
No fee for the first 2 participants from ICATT Network Companies 
$895 for each additional ICATT Network Company participant
$1250 for non-ICATT Network Company participants
Limited to 16 participants on a first-come basis. Participants must participate in all 4 seminar days.

Please contact Geneva Scurek or call (615) 708-7246 by May 13th to register.
ICATT Director Virginia Rounds and several ICATT Network companies were active across Indiana and Illinois in April. Virginia moderated a panel discussion about workforce issues that included Endress + Hauser & Ivy Tech College at the Indiana-German Business Conference Workforce hosted by the Indianapolis-Cologne Sister City Partnership Committee and Wunderbar Together . In Chicago, The Diemasters and Richard Wolf Medical Instruments were part of Virginia's Workforce Skills and Demands Panel at the World Future Forum.
For further information, please contact Virginia Rounds or call (312) 494-2163 .
Open Positions: Join our Skills Initiative Teams across the US
GACC Midwest is adding to our Michigan team : 

  • Company Account Manager, Apprenticeship Programs; located in our Detroit, MI office, the account manager will advise companies on their apprenticeship training plans, check with trainers at Network Companies to ensure success, and acquiring new companies for the program in Michigan with additional responsibility for Indiana & Ohio.

For further information and the complete job description, please click here.

GACC South is looking for two new team members: 

  • Coordinator Skills Initiative (Georgia); located in our Atlanta, GA office, focusing on building new apprenticeship programs modeled after the German system, as well as identifying and involving share- and stakeholders in the state of Georgia and other areas.

  • Consultant Skills Initiative (Texas); located in our Atlanta, GA office, focusing on building new apprenticeship programs modeled after the German system, as well as identifying and involving share- and stakeholders in the Southeast.

For further information and the complete job descriptions, please click here.