Registered Apprenticeships provide direct path to full-time employment in Fort Madison

When Fort Madison High School automotive technology instructor Jeff Gerdes stepped out of the garage after 20 years as an automotive service technician and into the classroom, he knew how desperate local auto dealerships and shops were for trained technicians.

According to the National Automotive Dealers Association, the industry anticipates needing to fill 76,000 service technician positions annually. However, current training programs can produce only 40,000 skilled technicians, leaving a significant shortfall.

“Many technicians are starting to retire or cycle out, and the industry hasn’t done a great job of replenishing those technicians,” Gerdes said. “And the skills to work on today's automobiles have changed an incredible amount as well, and we need to be providing those skills to students.”

That nationwide shortage is keenly felt in smaller communities like Fort Madison. Upon taking the reins of Fort Madison High School’s automotive technology program, Gerdes reached out to his former employer, Schottenkirk Chevrolet Fort Madison, to begin the process of creating a Registered Apprenticeship program.

Registered Apprenticeships are industry-driven, high-quality pathways that enable Iowans to advance their careers and develop a skilled workforce. Administered by the Iowa Office of Apprenticeship at Iowa Workforce Development, Registered Apprenticeships also allow Iowa schools to provide students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success and completion while meeting their community's workforce needs.

Registered Apprenticeships are just one work-based learning pathway that allows students to reach their full potential. The Department of Education also helps facilitate opportunities for work-based learning through sustained project-based learning in partnership with an employer, simulated work experiences aligned with industry-recognized credentials, high-quality pre-apprenticeships aligned to an apprenticeship, student learner programs, internships and apprenticeships.

“Work-based learning is essential for Iowa’s future as it bridges the gap between the classroom and the real world, giving our students the hands-on experience they need to succeed in today’s workforce,” said Cale Hutchings, the Department of Education Career and Technical Education and Postsecondary Readiness Bureau Chief. “By investing in these opportunities, we’re not only preparing Iowans for rewarding careers, we’re strengthening our communities and our state.”

Gerdes started the program at Fort Madison in 2022 with Schottenkirk and recently expanded to include Jim Baier, Inc., another local dealership. Beginning during a student’s junior year of high school, the program averages two to four apprentices per year, with students working through five courses at Fort Madison, including two concurrent enrollment courses at Southeastern Community College. Eventually, apprentices spend half of their day in class at Fort Madison High School and the other half at the dealership, where they are paid while learning. Most complete the program in two years and 100 percent of Gerdes’ apprenticeship students have transitioned immediately to full-time employment at their dealership.

“The more people that we can keep in the community is good, and we need to be able to retain that next generation,” Gerdes said. “The ability to be able to do that with this program because of the opportunities they're getting offered at these businesses is a win for everyone.”

The program’s success starts before apprenticeships, as finding the right fit is crucial. Potential apprentices shadow technicians and undergo evaluations by Gerdes, the student and the employer to align goals and ensure program completion.

Trey Edwards, one of Gerdes’ first students in the Registered Apprenticeship program, graduated in 2023 and began his career as a full-time employee at Schottenkirk before recently opening his own automotive shop in Fort Madison.

“I didn’t have to go to college or get additional training after high school while not getting paid,” Edwards said. “I was able to start getting paid my junior year and learning while earning. That’s tremendous motivation. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Jeff [Gerdes], Fort Madison schools and Schottenkirk. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t taken the jump into the apprenticeship program.”

At Schottenkirk, Edwards trained with General Motors master technician Luke Schoene and absorbed a wealth of knowledge as all apprentices experience every facet of the dealership’s service operations during their term. The knowledge and competency that Edwards gained not only led to immediate full-time employment but also quickly made him the dealership’s only diesel technician when Schoene departed for other opportunities.

“He was a great teacher who was certified in everything and taught me more than my brain could hold,” Edwards said.

In addition to learning from trained technicians on staff, many apprentices gain additional skills and manufacturers’ certifications that accelerate their learning and employability.

“We’ve had three apprentices get accepted into the General Motors training program, which is an intensive eight-week program at a technical college,” Gerdes said. “That training basically leapfrogged them over most everybody else in the field. There’s no comparison between what I can provide and the resources for training that a manufacturer like General Motors or Ford can provide.”

Gerdes credits the dealerships' staff with helping guide apprentices into accelerated learning programs and providing the support and flexibility needed to pursue training beyond the traditional apprenticeship. Additionally, Fort Madison Community Schools and the local community have embraced the program and are continually seeking ways to provide additional career and technical education and work-based learning opportunities for students.

“Our administration has been a big supporter of the career and technical education (CTE) programs partnered with all our business partners,” Gerdes said. “There's no way we could do it without them and the financial and technical support they offer. The opportunities that we're giving our students to get out and learn in the workplace is something you certainly put a price tag on.”

Learn more about work-based learning opportunities for students on the Department’s Career-Connected Learning webpage.