Community partners create new model for apprenticeship success

Education

Nov 13

Written By Staff

Photo courtesy of Grand Rapids Community College

Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI), West Michigan Works!, Rockwell Earthworks, the Grand River Workforce Collaborative, and Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) has launched a federally registered apprenticeship in landscaping, piloted through the high-profile Lyon Square renovation project.

This effort, the first of its kind in the region, represents a scalable model for employer-led apprenticeship creation, with GRCC acting as the classroom training hub and compliance partner.

“No one else in the country is doing this,” said Haley Kozal, GRCC’s Apprenticeship Program Manager. “Every partner brings expertise to the table — city planning, small business, workforce development, education. We created something sustainable that works for employers, employees and the entire community.”

For Rockwell Earthworks, a local landscape company, and with the support of Rockford Construction, the general contractor on the Lyon Square project, the benefits were immediate and practical.

Apprentices split time between paid, hands-on work at Rockwell and classroom instruction provided by GRCC. Over two years, they’ll gain the skills needed to earn a nationally recognized journeyman’s credential at no cost to them.

“Our apprentices don’t have to drop everything to go to school full-time,” said Kozal. “They’re earning while learning and growing with a company.”

Rockwell notes that additional funding streams, including support from GRCC’s apprenticeship grants and nonprofit partners, helped cover offseason wages and training costs which allowed the business to retain talent through slower winter months.

What started with Lyon Square is quickly becoming a replicable model. West Michigan Works!, DGRI and GRCC are positioning this collaboration as a template for how employers across industries can build capacity, reduce hiring risk and create sustainable pipelines of talent, especially for small and mid-sized businesses that don’t have HR departments or training teams.

“This pilot proves that it works,” stated James Peacock III, Economic Opportunity Program Manager at DGRI. “We’re already talking about adapting this for river restoration, water infrastructure and other skilled trades.”

And while the Lyon Square project is complete, the ripple effects are just beginning.

“This project shows how intentional collaboration creates real opportunity,” said Juan Rosario, Talent Slutions Manager for West Michigan Works! “We’re helping people earn a credential that opens doors across the country. That’s good for them, good for business and good for West Michigan.”

With more than 400 electrical apprentices and dozens of other programs in high-demand fields like welding and tool & die, GRCC is ready to help employers across the region create registered apprenticeships tailored to their needs. To learn more, visit https://www.grcc.edu/schools-departments/school-workforce-training/apprenticeship-programs.

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