Partnerships
Apprentices Ready to Embark on New Careers
RALEIGH, NC (August 26, 2025) – Six Wake Tech apprentices who started in high school are beginning new engineering and automotive careers, and another 39 high school students are starting their apprenticeship journey thanks to a partnership with the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP).
The graduates and new apprentices celebrated with their families and employers at a special ceremony Monday at the Southern Wake Campus.
The six graduates officially earned their Journeyworker certification, signaling that they have successfully mastered the skills in their fields. Four graduated with Mechanical Engineering Technology Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees and two earned Automotive Systems Technology AAS degrees from Wake Tech and were offered full-time positions by their employers.
Corban Summers is grateful for his apprenticeship experience and says he's excited about his career as an engineer technician at Shunk, a company that produces high-tech components for machines and systems.
"I like working with my hands and figuring things out as I go," he said. "It's a great way to learn, and I take pride in building confidence through hands-on problem-solving and technical skills."
Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt was the guest speaker and commended the graduates and new apprentices for launching their careers through the apprenticeship learn-and-earn model. She also praised employers for developing new talent by investing in apprenticeships.
"As lieutenant governor, one of my top priorities is making sure North Carolina is future-ready," Hunt said. "That means making sure our state has the jobs of the future and the workers ready to build it. Apprenticeships are a big part of that. They let students earn while they learn. They help businesses find and train the talent they need, and they keep that talent right here in North Carolina. This is how we stay competitive in a changing world by preparing our people for what's next."
NCTAP offers high school students the opportunity to take classes at Wake Tech at no charge while receiving onsite training, with pay, at a local employer. After high school graduation, they transition from youth apprentices to apprentices as part of the U.S. Department of Labor's Registered Apprenticeship program.
This year's NCTAP apprenticeship graduates are:
Mechanical Engineering Technology
- Ethan Hulstedt is working in technical sales and automation for Schunk.
- Corban Summers is an engineer technician at Schunk.
- Madelyn Clark is a field service engineer at Siemens.
- Wesley Gayle is a mold maker for Superior Tooling.
Automotive Systems Technology
- Zac Cagle is a certified Kia technician at Fred Anderson Kia of Raleigh.
- Michael Koo is a general service technician at Fred Anderson Toyota of Raleigh.
Meanwhile, 39 new youth apprentices from area high schools signed on with 15 local companies to begin their apprenticeship journey. They were hired by companies such as Anderson Automotive, Brady Services, Buhler, Chapel Hill Tire, Piedmont Services, Schunk, Siemens and others.
A U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Ambassador, Wake Tech also offers apprenticeships through WakeWorks, a partnership with Wake County. With nearly 500 apprentices working at one of more than 150 companies around the Triangle, Wake Tech has one of the most robust apprenticeship programs of any college in the nation.
To learn more about apprenticeship opportunities at Wake Tech, visit apprenticeship.waketech.edu.
