The curriculum being developed to address this shortage is a 2+2+2 program with two years at the high school level; two years at the community college; and two years of internships on the job. Before students are accepted into the program at the high school level they must complete certain levels of math, science, English, and general education classes during their freshman and sophomore years. The students apply to the program during their sophomore year in high school. The selection process includes tests and interviews that measure behavioral attributes and academic aptitudes. Upon acceptance, students are required to take certain levels of math, English, and general education classes during their junior and senior years of high school. They also take 400 hours of a technical concentration consisting of design and manufacturing processes, quality assurance, automated material handling, fluid power, and electrical systems. The curriculum includes job shadowing and a required internship experience at the high school level.

Students are paid for their internship work, including a percentage of the compensation that is held in escrow for use as a scholarship toward community college tuition. At either Richland or Illinois Central College, students enter a two-year program, with up to 13 articulated credit hours focusing on Industrial Electrical Technology, Industrial Maintenance Technology, or Industrial Toolmaker Technology. Each program consists of industry-related classroom work and a required internship. Before entering the remaining two years of employment at Caterpillar, students must complete an apprentice selection process, which tests for behaviors, knowledge, and competencies.

With Caterpillar's leadership and expertise in the manufacturing industry Richland College and Illinois Central College were able to bring industries together to address a common concern. This partnership has resulted in the development of AAS degrees in Mechanical and Electrical Technology and a fully equipped laboratory.

In today's rapidly changing marketplace, this partnership will allow Caterpillar and others to more accurately predict workforce needs. In the past, four-year apprenticeship programs often created a shortage or surplus of skilled trades employees. A shortage of employees results in decreased productivity and higher costs, which hurts the company; a surplus of skilled trades employees results in layoffs, which hurts employees. The partnership has developed a "just-in-time" approach to addressing workforce needs.

A well-trained workforce is essential to the retention of the existing workforce and attracting new manufacturers to the area. The overall community training cost will be reduced by combining several company training programs into a cost effective public training system. By moving this training from an in-house, on-the-job company training program to the community college, companies will see substantial cost savings. The time it takes to educate and train a journeyman will be reduced from four years to less than two years.

The first graduating class is expected in the Spring of 2000. At this time students will be ready to enter Caterpillar, or positions at other partnering industries. This partnership is truly an example of how industry and the community colleges can work together and combine their strengths to address workforce needs. Neither one has the expertise or understanding to do it alone. It must be done in a partnership.