How This Nonprofit is Changing Manufacturer Perceptions of Apprenticeship Programs

How This Nonprofit is Changing Manufacturer Perceptions of Apprenticeship Programs Main Photo

11 Nov 2025


News

PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL - Not all manufacturing apprenticeship programs are run by unions. That’s an assumption Demetria Lynn Strickland debunks as she talks to employers about apprenticeship programs run by AJAC, the organization she leads.

The nonprofit started in 2008 to build a pipeline of skilled aerospace workers. Today AJAC partners with 350 employers across a dozen industries.

The Business Journal spoke with Strickland about the employers she works with, what perceptions manufacturers outside of aerospace have about apprenticeships and how she measures success.



Note:  AJAC is headquartered in Kent.

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