As the Career Academy of Pella apprenticeship program grows and becomes a model for other Iowa schools, so does the number of participants at Vermeer Corporation.
Vermeer Chair Mary Andringa facilitated a roundtable discussion with Governor Kim Reynolds on Thursday with student apprentices, and says Reynolds approached her about having a discussion with the students to better gauge the effectiveness of the program.

“This was the governor’s idea, she really wants to figure out every way to give students work-based opportunities, so it was two years ago when her staff called down here and said, ‘hey, can you help us get a registered apprenticeship program started in the Pella area?’ so we had a team that assembled with various other companies and the career academy and various high schools that feed into the career academy, as well as the area community college, DMACC,” Andringa says. “This was her program to start with — she really wanted to see this happen, and for her then to be able to come here and really endorse it by affirming these students, affirming this is a great opportunity for not every student, but a lot of students. It was awesome to have her come here, and I know she does tell the stories across the nation.”

Andringa says the students participating at Vermeer continue to show the potential for the program not only at the company, but throughout the entire region and state. Hear more from Andringa on Monday’s Let’s Talk Pella.