Walters State Community College and Ober Mountain form partnership for maintenance mechanic apprenticeship

Walters State Community College and Ober Mountain, a popular amusement park and skiing area in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, have formed a partnership that is bringing a new apprenticeship program to fruition: maintenance mechanic.

According to an article on Walters State Community College’s website, Dr. Tony Miksa, Walters State Community College’s president, was quoted as saying of the new partnership, “Ober Mountain has been a constant presence in our service area since 1962, providing employment for area residents while hosting visitors from throughout the world. We are honored to work with them to meet their current workforce needs. Through one-on-one planning, our Division of Workforce Training was able to develop a program that meets the training needs of this unique employer.”

The apprenticeship program will allow individuals to earn credit toward a technical certificate or an associate of applied science degree in maintenance mechanic, as well as to receive valuable onsite training and being paid for it, all while learning the ropes on the job and in the classroom.

Amy Warner, who serves as the vice president of Sales and Marketing for Ober Mountain, discussed the benefit to Ober Mountain, saying, “We are excited to partner with Walters State in the apprenticeship program. This is an opportunity to teach skills that students will use in their future careers. Our hope is that after graduation, the students will achieve their career goals right here at Ober.”

Now that the apprenticeship program has received approval from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, two applicants are expected to begin their apprenticeships this month.

For more information about Walters State Community College, visit the school’s website.