WEST POINT, Neb. – Kameron Hughes signed on to be an Information Technology Helpdesk apprentice at Franciscan Healthcare.
Kameron will be participating in Northeast Community College’s Information Technology Apprenticeship Program. The program allows Kameron to work in his area of interest and learn from an experienced mentor at Franciscan Healthcare while he is attending classes at Northeast and learning in the classroom. He plans to graduate from Northeast in May 2025 with his degree in Information Technology, focusing on Security and Technical Services Support.
“We are so excited to have Kameron here working at Franciscan Healthcare in our IT Department. He has already been such a great asset to the team, and we are so excited to partner with Northeast Community College on this program,” said Terri Ridder, HR director at Franciscan Healthcare.
The apprenticeship program was developed at Northeast in 2021 and serves as a pathway for students to achieve long-term career success.
“All of our apprentices are working at local businesses throughout our region and applying the skills they are learning in the classroom at work. It has been a great program for our students who are anxious to get started working,” said Kimberly Andersen, Apprenticeship director at Northeast Community College.
The program also helps with the workforce shortage almost all employers are experiencing. Apprentices can start working in their career field sooner and get paid to do so.
Apprenticeship is an earn-and-learn model. Apprentices are enrolled in a set of courses at Northeast while they are applying what they learned on-the-job, guided by a peer mentor. Apprenticeship programs include paid employment, so they can be a fit for both current college students, high school graduates, and adults looking to make a career move while sustaining a paycheck.
Northeast currently offers 10 apprenticeship programs ranging from Accounting, Information Technology and Early Childhood to Welding, Industrial Maintenance, Ag Diesel and Chemical Applicator.
Anyone interested in becoming an apprentice or partnering employer is encouraged to contact Kim Andersen, Apprenticeship director, at 402-844-7121 or kander61@northeast.educ
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The latest signing in a Northeast apprenticeship program is Kameron Hughes (front center), apprentice at Franciscan Healthcare in West Point. Also shown (front) are Kimberly Andersen, Apprenticeship director at Northeast, and Josh Brooks, mentor at Franciscan Healthcare. In the back are Dustin Schlote (left), Apprenticeship adviser at Northeast, and Jeff Geaghan, CIO at Franciscan Healthcare.
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