March 2021
Minh works in mechatronics at Blum, Inc., a manufacturing firm in Stanley, North Carolina, assisting with designing and forming new molds for Blum’s production of hinges and cabinetry technology. As part of his apprenticeship, Minh is also earning his associate degree in mechatronics at Central Piedmont Community College debt-free and has a secure, well-paying job lined up at Blum after his apprenticeship ends. Roughly 70 percent of apprentices stay at Blum for at least five years, said Andreas Thurner, Blum’s apprenticeship coordinator. And more than 75 percent of technicians currently at Blum’s Stanley site went through the Apprenticeship 2000 program.
Now in the fourth year of his apprenticeship, Minh believes he will use “the communication, teamwork, and time management skills” he’s learned for the rest of his life. Minh says the freedom to learn and teach himself as he worked has made him self-sufficient and encouraged him to be innovative.
Read more about the Apprenticeship 2000 program and apprentices like Mihn.