Sixteen years ago, Spencer Coxe started as a machinist in ExxonMobil’s apprenticeship program. For four years, Coxe balanced classroom work with on-the-job training, as 10/12 Industry Report details in a feature from the new quarterly issue.
When he completed the program, Coxe had earned a state certificate as a first-class machinist. He also earned a permanent position with ExxonMobil, where he’s employed today as a first-line supervisor and also mentors current apprentices at the company.
“I thought I knew everything about machine work before I came here,” Coxe says. “What I learned in the apprenticeship program really opened my eyes to safety, working with different types of equipment and working with different supervisors.”
It’s not just Coxe who has benefited from his time as an apprentice—ExxonMobil did, too. Industrial companies providing apprenticeships, internships, co-ops and other workforce-development programs reap immense benefits. For many businesses, including in south Louisiana, these initiatives are critical for ensuring the company, as well as industry overall, stays globally competitive by developing a skilled workforce.
As IndustryWeek reports, President Donald Trump would seem to agree. He publicly announced he wants to ramp up the number of apprenticeships in the United States from 500,000 to 5 million. And he’s promising money to back up the idea—with $200 million, to be exact, more than the $90 million the Obama administration allocated for the effort.
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