SyBridge Technologies LP's Fitchburg, Mass., facility is shaping the future of manufacturing minds by working with a local high school for an apprenticeship program.
An apprentice program was part of the facility even before SyBridge, a tooling specialist based in Southfield, Mich., acquired it in 2022. SyBridge is the third-largest toolmaker in North America according to Plastics News' data.
The company has had an apprenticeship program for 40 years and is heavily influenced by its current general manager, Ron Maillet, who benefited firsthand from apprenticeship programs.
The apprenticeship program started partnering with vocational technical school Monty Tech seven years ago. SyBridge has since hired multiple apprentices into full-time positions.
Students rotate through the program with one week in class and one week on a job site. It is for juniors and seniors, and it has two apprentices at a time. SyBridge brings on one new apprentice each year.
"Time passes and they're becoming juniors, they're becoming seniors, and oftentimes, as they graduate, they either know they love it or they don't," said Jennifer Tomes, product marketing manager at SyBridge. "So now they're in a place where they can continue their work within the organization, and often they do."
SyBridge is heavily invested in precision manufacturing, so the school works hard to find students who would be good fits for the program.
"It's got to be a person who's got a curiosity to make it work, but also attention to detail," Tomes said.
Students must meet the age requirements, maintain grades of 75 or better, and have no discipline issues. SyBridge has seen steady growth for the program since 2018.
Students learn about everything from blueprints to more complex projects. Further down the line, the students cut steel, program and run computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines.
They also take on design for manufacturing and how to access and adjust designs as needed. They also learn about multi-axis machining, mold construction, metrology and metallurgy.
Throughout the whole program, the students have mentors guiding them. They keep a logbook of their process and accomplishments. They also meet and observe experienced staff members. Students can demonstrate their learnings and be reviewed by SyBridge and Monty Tech faculty.
"Every student that learns something and has a passion for it is going to contribute to industry, but [also] they're going to contribute to society," Tomes said.
"It's really wonderful to see people building a community and building a community within the industry," she added