History was made today as two Grayson County Technology Center students, Caroline Hodges and Carson Dennis, signed on with Louisville-based Atlas Machine & Supply as machining apprentices.
Through the apprenticeship program, they will complete 8,000 hours of on-the-job training while working alongside experienced machinists and using advanced technology to solve real-world manufacturing challenges. Upon completion of the program, they will have earned a nationally recognized journeyman’s certification — opening doors to countless career opportunities.
The Atlas apprenticeship program also includes a significant Related Technical Instruction (RTI) component, typically requiring 576 hours of coursework. Because of the high level of training students receive in the machining pathway at the GCTC, Atlas now accepts those classes as meeting the requirement. That early head start allows new apprentices to focus solely on their on-the-job training.
Grayson County is one of only a handful of high schools in Kentucky with coursework accepted into the Atlas program as RTI credit.
Tech Center Director Matt Hayes noted that the partnership had been in the works for about a year. “We are so appreciative of Atlas,” he said, calling the program “a wonderful opportunity for our students.”
The signing reflects the growing collaboration between education and industry to create meaningful career opportunities for students before they even graduate.
For Caroline and Carson, the signing marks more than the start of a job — it is the beginning of a career that combines hands-on experience, industry credentials, and the chance to build an unlimited future in a high-demand field.
