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Bettendorf students spotlighted in National Apprenticeship Week; local welding internships link classroom to John Deere
Summary
Two Bettendorf High students described paid welding apprenticeships with John Deere that split their school day between class and company work; staff said apprentices start at $15/hour and advance through phases tied to raises and required hours.
Two Bettendorf High School students described how paid welding apprenticeships with John Deere have combined classroom instruction with on-the-job experience during National Apprenticeship Week.
A district staff member introduced the apprentices and explained that students attend welding class for roughly half their day and work at John Deere the other half. The students said the program began with in-school coursework (Welding I) and a selection interview with John Deere; district staff and the high school welding instructor identify and forward qualified candidates to Deere for interviews.
Student Jaden said he "took Welding 1 my freshman year" and "fell in love with it," adding, "I like welding. I like the art of it." Student Aiden described trying welding in his sophomore year, consulting a counselor and moving through additional certification classes before being referred for an interview.
Program specifics discussed in the meeting: apprentices begin at $15 per hour during the summer phase, with planned raises to $16 and then $17 in subsequent phases as students advance; students continue in the program until they complete required hours. The district said it works directly with its welding instructor to assemble a list of interested, qualified students before employers interview candidates.
District staff also noted the program has been in place for several years and that welding is the district’s most used apprenticeship; the district highlighted the program as an example of work-based learning that provides both technical skills and employment while students complete high school.
What this means: students gain paid, supervised work experience that the district says complements classroom instruction; the program’s pay scale and phased structure were described in the meeting but written agreements or broader funding sources were not specified in the transcript.
