VERONA, N.Y. — Turning Stone Enterprises says eight of its employees are the first group to complete the organization’s first-ever skilled trades education program (STEP).
After nine months of classroom study and on-the-job experience, they will continue building their skills and careers with new promotions and training opportunities, per the announcement.
It was back in February when Turning Stone Enterprises launched STEP to prepare for the growing need for skilled maintenance and facilities professionals across the Oneida Indian Nation’s business operations. Developed through a partnership with Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC), STEP offers participants an opportunity to learn hands-on skills in electrical work, plumbing, carpentry and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) through a combination of on-the-job training and classroom learning.
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Participating employees attended classes at MVCC twice weekly while working with mentors as full-time members of the Turning Stone Enterprises facilities team. All program participants are provided with paid training, and classes are customized for the common maintenance, repair, and installation tasks that are needed most at Turning Stone Enterprises and throughout the skilled trades.
Upon completion, the eight students who took part in the initial STEP were promoted to maintenance technicians. Participants also received a pay raise and a certificate of completion. The next class of team members to take part in STEP has already been hired and “will soon begin their own career-development journey in the trades,” Turning Stone Enterprises said.
“As the Turning Stone Evolution accelerates our growth, it also creates new opportunities for our team, like the Skilled Trades Education Program,” Ray Halbritter, Turning Stone Enterprises CEO and Oneida Indian Nation representative, said in the announcement. “Highly trained maintenance professionals will be critical to sustaining and expanding this growth, as we are always most successful when our team grows alongside us. That is why every investment in career development for our team is also an investment in the success of our enterprises and their impact in Upstate New York.”
