Last week's Collier Citizen feature, "Arthrex Machinist Program Helping The Immokalee Foundation (TIF) Students Realize Their Potential," highlights the Arthrex Manufacturing Apprentice Program (AMAP) and former TIF program participant-turned recent AMAP graduate Johnnie Gonzalez.
Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development Mike Boose shares about Johnnie in the article, "He was the type of student we were looking for. He is a hard worker, with a lot of talent and potential to be an employee who could succeed in the company. He learned the skill set to be competitive in manufacturing.”
Nearly 18 months ago, management of the AMAP program transitioned to the AMI Operations department, with Operations Managers Aaron Wilson and Jon Borgognoni assuming responsibility for the program's intensive manufacturing technical training.
Four students are accepted into the AMAP program each year. At any given time, there are as many as 16 apprentices learning to operate machinery to manufacture medical devices and products for use in orthopaedic surgical procedures. Over the four years of training, students spend 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, and each week, they spend six hours in class, learning everything from manufacturing math skills to machining principles.
Mike says, “We invested four years in Johnnie Gonzales’ growth and development, so we think this is a really good partnership with The Immokalee Foundation. It suggests that the efforts of the foundation helped prepare him for success in his role here. Arthrex has sponsored the foundation for a number of years. We’ve been supportive of the work they do. It’s good for the community, in terms of helping kids reach their full potential, and it is an opportunity for us to recruit great talent."