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Profle 14 MoldMaking Technology May 2015 However, Earnhardt stresses that this outcome wasn't unan- ticipated. For one, the program has a rigorous application process. That includes initial shop tours to gauge interest, an orientation session to gauge aptitude and summer intern- ships to gauge performance before full acceptance into the four-year-long program, which begins in the student's senior year of high school. Weeding out all but the most promising candidates is important, given that the company might invest as much as $150,000 in each potential hire's salary and tuition for part-time coursework at Wake Tech Community College. "It also takes some time for an effort like this to grow wings," he adds. Judging from recent developments, NCTAP could take flight for Superior Tooling sooner rather than later. For one, members have received a number of letters from interested candidates— something that didn't happen last year—and initial orientation sessions attracted far larger crowds. Perhaps more notably, some of the afore- mentioned letters came from parents, who are often more difficult to educate than their children about the benefits and the nature of modern manufactur- ing careers, Earnhardt says. Although the same goes for educators, NCTAP partners have been invited to present to guidance counselors at more than 40 local high schools this year, more than double the amount of last year. Finally, NCTAP has attracted atten- tion from the White House, which recently announced $100 million in grants for apprenticeship programs. After a meeting with Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, Earnhardt and other members are optimistic that the pro- gram may see some of that funding. Whatever the future holds, such atten- tion is certainly a positive in Earnhardt's mind. He last visited Washington, D.C., more than 6 years ago to push the need for solutions to the shortage of quali- fied employees in the trades—a message that fell on deaf ears, and not for the first time. "It's been going on 12 or 13 years that I've been trying to push this thing, and it was going nowhere," he says. "Everyone said we'd be a service economy; that we wouldn't have to make anything. People are finally start- ing to wake up." Because Productivity is a Partnership The full measure of a cutting tool's value goes beyond manufacturing excellence. That's why Millstar has a network of qualified sales engineers and production experts who collaborate to provide quality products and application logistics to optimize performance and productivity. It's a competitive market. Partner with Millstar for the most comprehensive start-to-finish value available in the cutting tool industry. www.millstar.com 3. ,apeer 2d. /rion Twp. MI 5.3.!. Phone - &ax; - 3ales inquiries welcome LEARN MORE Learn more about Superior Tooling's experience with NCTAP and read a letter sent by the parent of one potential candidate this year. Visit short.moldmakingtechnology.com/ nctap.