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St. Mary’s tech-center apprenticeship grows; demand far outstrips seats
Summary
James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center officials told county leaders the AMP apprenticeship gives seniors paid, credit-bearing work experience but the center accepted 534 students and waitlisted 409 for the coming year, leaving significant unmet demand and prompting calls to expand employer partnerships.
The James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center’s apprenticeship program is expanding but still cannot meet local demand, presenters told a joint meeting of St. Mary’s County commissioners and the Board of Education on April 14.
“Students in the AMP program in their senior year go to a job site, they get paid for their time and they earn their graduation requirements,” said Mark Perner, principal of the Tech Center. He and apprenticeship coordinator Mr. Glasper described a program that began in 2019 with eight apprentices and grew to 69 the previous year; this year the Tech Center reported 64 apprentices.
Perner and Glasper emphasized that seats are the limiting factor. “We accepted 534 students into the Tech Center and we had to wait list 409 students,” Perner said, noting seven programs have more than 20 students waiting. Selection prioritizes attendance, GPA and behavior, with bonus points for rising juniors; once admitted, Perner said, “once you’re in, you’re in.”
The presenters outlined program mechanics: apprentices must be seniors with reliable transportation, commit to a minimum 450 hours of work‑based learning (a Department of Labor standard cited by staff), and earn four credits toward graduation. Glasper gave a concrete pay example: at $15 an hour a 450‑hour placement yields $6,750 before taxes; many students average 600 hours and some exceed 1,000, increasing earnings accordingly.
Glasper described the district’s supports for students and employers—resume and interview clinics, mock interviews, graded check‑ins and mentor oversight—and said the Maryland Department of Labor’s state navigator (Laura Wright) conducts employer site visits and vetting. Employer partners identified in the presentation include St. Mary’s County government, 84 Lumber, CACI, J.F. Taylor and a longstanding Patuxent partnership with defense‑sector intermediaries.
Commissioners and board members praised the program’s role in the local workforce pipeline and asked staff to continue recruiting employer partners. Glasper said the program is working to expand placements and noted a recognition event scheduled for May 11.
Next steps: staff said they will continue to pursue more employer partners and report back on capacity options; commissioners signaled support for expanding pathways that keep skilled graduates working locally.
