Joan Glines, apprenticeship training representative, NH Department of Labor; John Knorr, ApprenticeshipNH HUB coordinator; Delilah Smith, ApprenticeshipNH HUB developer; Jessica Carpenter, Sanel NAPA talent acquisition specialist; Christi Green, Sanel NAPA HR director; and David Segal, Sanel NAPA president and COO. (Photo courtesy of ApprenticeshipNH)
ApprenticeshipNH, a workforce training program of the Community College System of New Hampshire, has partnered with Sanel NAPA, an auto parts, heavy-duty truck parts, and body shop supplies distributor in northern New England, to introduce a Parts Salesperson Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP).
The program’s mission is to develop the skills for future workforce members in the company’s Concord and Newport locations, with plans to expand the apprenticeship program to all its locations and potential to lead to a Management Certificate from NHTI – Concord’s Community College.
The Management Certificate program offers a broad background for those seeking careers in many areas of business and all courses are applicable to the NHTI’s associate of science degree programs.
“Our apprenticeship is about building a career. It’s not just about a job; it’s about building skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communications and a lot more. It’s also about beginning a career as a parts professional and opening doors to a lifetime of opportunities, whether at Sanel NAPA or in the community,” said David T. Segal, president and COO of Sanel NAPA.
Sanel NAPA had initially contacted ApprenticeshipNH about creating a program to help recruit employees in a competitive labor market. Christi Green, chief human resources officer at Sanel NAPA, believed the comprehensive nature of the two-year, “earn while you learn” apprenticeship program would attract applicants interested in beginning their careers or transitioning to a new one in the automotive industry.
“ApprenticeshipNH reached out to all their resources and built this program for us within just a few months. We have an incredible collaboration and partnership with them,” she said.
The Sanel NAPA sales apprenticeship reflects the growing popularity of registered apprenticeships outside of the construction trades. While construction and manufacturing remain the leading industries for apprenticeships, ApprenticeshipNH, in partnership with the Office of Apprenticeship, is increasingly developing programs in health care, behavioral health, education, hospitality, information technology and business.
“Registered apprenticeships are a great way to develop talent so people have a path forward and companies can hire from within. This is particularly important in a tight labor market,” said Delilah Smith, the ApprenticeshipNH program developer for Sanel NAPA’s RAP.
