Brandon Mutter received the first Mohawk Apprenticeship Scholarship this week and he will attend Georgia Northwestern Technical College. The scholarship will cover the total cost of his Associate’s Degree in Industrial Systems.
In addition to the scholarship, Mr. Mutter earned a position in Mohawk Industries’ nationally-recognized mechatronics apprenticeship program.
“It’s exciting, because now I have more of a chance to go to college. I can afford it,” said Mr. Mutter.
The Mohawk Apprenticeship Scholarship rewards a senior with a high GPA who has completed requisite coursework and received strong recommendations by instructors at the Gordon County College and Career Academy. Recipients must also commit to work as an apprentice at Mohawk while completing studies in Industrial Systems at GNTC. While Mr. Mutter is the first recipient of the scholarship, the program will be extended to other similar schools around the country with which Mohawk has apprenticeship programs.
“As both the world’s largest flooring manufacturer and Gordon County’s largest employer, we understand the success of our business relies on our ability to attract and sustain a talented team of people who can meet the increasingly high tech demands of our highly competitive industry,” Senior Vice President of Human Resources Phil Brown said. “Just as Mohawk invests in state-of-the art technology and equipment, we are committed to investing in people whose talent and skills drive our growth and success.”
The apprenticeship scholarship is an extension of Mohawk’s ongoing partnership with Gordon County College and Career Academy. This fall, longtime Mohawk employee and Senior Regional Engineering Instructor Keith Shepherd joined the school’s teaching staff as a mechatronics instructor. The company also promotes employee volunteer opportunities at the school, provides leadership and input through representation on the GCCCA board of directors and sponsors an on-site STEM camp each summer for middle school students to encourage the study of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“GCCCA has been an outstanding education partner, which is why we are so excited to provide this opportunity to a 2016 graduate,” Mohawk Director of Technical Training Linda McEntire said. “This strategic partnership was designed to develop qualified potential employees who can apply their skills toward a building a great career right here in Northwest Georgia. By being exposed to these opportunities and receiving real-world training while still in high school, these students are excellent candidates for the high skill, high wage positions we have at Mohawk.”
Mohawk’s partnership with GCCCA led to both institutions being recognized by Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor as the business and education partners of the year in 2015. Apprenticeship opportunities with the company are expanding throughout the region and beyond, and Mohawk plans to extend additional scholarship opportunities in the future.