MORGANTOWN, PA — Seven high school seniors from Coatesville (Chester County), Governor Mifflin (Bucks County) and Wilson (Berks County) school districts completed a skilled welding internship at Morgan Truck Body last semester, resulting in seven full-time job offers to begin upon graduation starting at $23 per hour, and they can work part-time until then. Students earned pay while attending classes for two hours daily that count toward high school credit.
“We congratulate the seven students who completed Morgan’s comprehensive training program that included small-classroom lab instruction, training on welding equipment and access to a Virtual Reality Welding Simulator,” says Richard Dixon, who manages the Morgan Truck Body High School training program. “The internship provides an excellent earn-while-you-learn pathway to achieving a living wage and an opportunity for advancement without a college degree.”
Each semester, up to 14 students are invited to participate in the paid training program, which draws from several school districts including Coatesville, Daniel, Exeter, Governor Mifflin, Reading, TCHS, Twin Valley, Wilson and Wyomissing Area School District.
Of the previous 36 students who have graduated from the program to date, 25 have been hired by Morgan Truck Body straight out of high school.
“Multiple generations of skilled workers have built their careers at Morgan Truck Body, which is the largest manufacturer of medium-duty dry freight and refrigerated van and truck bodies in North America,” says Julie Ubele, Talent Acquisition Manager at Morgan. “We support a workforce of 2700 employees and take pride in providing excellent training, benefits and opportunity for growth for individuals looking to build a career in the trades.”
Seniors in high school who are at least 17 years old can attend Morgan Truck Body’s paid welding training program in either the fall or spring session. Provided they are at least 18 years old, those who are offered employment at the end of the fall session can work part-time at $23 per hour until graduation. Students who are offered employment after the spring session can begin full-time work upon graduation (and after passing physical and written tests) at $23 per hour with 80 percent college tuition reimbursement after working full-time for six months. Full-time benefits include health, dental, vision, life insurance, disability plans, 401(k), paid time off, tuition reimbursement and more in a culture of career development, diversity, and respect.
Interested schools can contact Julie Ubele at Morgan Truck Body at Julie.Ubele@morgancorp.com or call 610-286-2314.
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