Sirois Tool Employee Honored for Completing Connecticut’s Demanding Apprenticeship Program

Sirois Tool partners with educators and the state Department of Labor to train skilled tool makers and help fill the workforce pipeline.

Sirois Tool is proud to join local educators and the Connecticut Department of Labor to help encourage young people to consider lucrative and rewarding careers in the manufacturing industry. For several years, we’ve worked with students from the Manufacturing Technology and Mechanical Design and Engineering departments at Vinal Technical High School in Middletown, giving behind-the-scenes tours and educating them about the different opportunities at Sirois Tool. We also offer select students the opportunity to work with us while taking part in the Department of Labor’s Pre-Apprenticeship program. One of our great success stories is Ray.

We hired Ray as a part-time employee in 2016 while he was still a student at Vinal Tech, through the school’s Work-Based Learning program. This program allows us to work hand-in-hand with the state’s Pre-Apprenticeship program, giving the young people work experience and valuable training toward employment in skilled trades and ensuring a well-qualified, job-ready employee. The Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship Training oversees the program and provides a portable training credential when it is completed. Ray excelled in the program and showed tremendous potential and initiative, so we were happy to hire him full-time when he graduated in 2017.

This apprenticeship is a major commitment that requires more than three-and-a-half years to complete. On July 31, Ray wrapped up the 8,000 hours of training, and he officially became a tool maker. He is the third employee at Sirois to complete this demanding training, and we have two more in the program. We believe that this program’s combination of classroom instruction, on-the-job training, and government support are a great way to prepare skilled workers and support the future of Connecticut manufacturing.

An avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing, Ray is an exceptional employee. He is a creative problem-solver, and he works hard and has an excellent attitude. In addition to his full-time job with us, he makes time to help out at his family’s sawmill business. He’s also looking into starting a small side business on the weekends. He plans to get his captain’s license and charter fishing trips for people, along with commercial rod and reel fishing.

For completing this course of training, Ray received a certificate from the state of Connecticut and a customized Gerstner toolbox from Sirois Tool. Thank you for your hard work, Ray! We are so proud of you, and so happy to have you on our team!