Members of the Highway 2 West Manufacturers’ Association met this week to discuss a common problem in their industry, the worker shortage. Local leader Andy Wells, owner and founder of Wells Technology in Bemidji, decided to share his story of success with an often looked over alternative – apprenticeships.

“Our manufacturing members, they’re all trying to find workers and develop a workforce,” explained Hal Halliday, a Board Member of the H2WMA. “This was a natural fit to listen to someone who actually had a plan and was successful in workforce development.”

At a meeting on Dec. 7, members of the association listened as Wells discussed how and why apprentices are a positive addition to his workforce. Wells emphasized the changing workforce and how investing in younger workers can garner potential employees in the future.

With apprenticeships, time and money can be a loss companies see in the short-term. The training and education can cause loss of production for a business. Despite this immediate loss, Wells state the risk is worth it if apprentices help alleviate the worker shortage.

Following the presentation, which also included 17 steps for what Wells has found to be a successful apprenticeships, the members of the H2WMA took a tour of Wells Technology.

By — Mary Balstad