Renold Inc. was founded in 1864, manufactures precision engineered and power transmission products used in everything from subway systems and power stations to escalators and chocolate factories.
When Renold Ajax’s Westfield, New York manufacturing facility found itself struggling to hire and keep skilled tradespeople last summer, company leaders did something increasingly rare in American industry — they asked for help.
That call went to the Workforce Development team at Jamestown Community College (JCC), and what followed was a sweeping, multi-pronged partnership that may serve as a blueprint for manufacturers across the region facing the same stubborn talent shortage.
Within 12 months, Renold, in partnership with JCC, launched internships, summer work programs, job postings for graduates and alumni, and a presence at campus career fairs. But the centerpiece of their collaboration arrived during National Apprenticeship Week, when Renold Ajax officially became a signatory sponsor of a New York State Registered Apprenticeship Program.
Now, the program’s first apprentice will soon be sitting in a classroom.
Under state law, registered apprentices must complete a minimum of 144 hours of Related Technical Instruction (RTI) annually — the classroom education that complements hands-on, on-the-job training. Jamestown Community College, like many SUNY schools, offers this coursework in flexible formats, including in-person, hybrid, and virtual options designed to fit the demanding schedules of working adults.
And for Renold Ajax’s inaugural apprentice, the cost for the RTI is zero — covered entirely by the SUNY Apprenticeship grant program.
The Westfield facility is now betting that growing talent from within — with a little help from Jamestown Community College — is the answer to a workforce problem that isn’t going away on its own.
Learn more about the SUNY Apprenticeship Program and how SUNY is helping NYS businesses solve their toughest workforce challenges.
