Staff Reports
VINCENNES — Cummins Inc. and Vincennes University are partnering to train students in Cummins’ Technician Apprenticeship Program (TAP).
During the four-year program, Cummins apprentices will spend the equivalent of two years at the university where they will learn how to build and maintain Cummins diesel engines.
When the students complete the program, they will have earned an associates degree in diesel and heavy equipment technology and will be Cummins-certified in engines with the options to pursue careers in power generation, marine, high horsepower or service operations.
“This partnership will benefit students with the skills necessary to be more successful in an increasingly complex workplace and will benefit Cummins with a source of qualified and capable talent. A strong workforce benefits the industry and strengthens our communities,” said Doug Dawes, executive director, service operations, for Cummins.
Tim Hale, who chairs the university’s diesel technology program, said the university’s diesel and heavy equipment facility already is equipped with an extensive collection of Cummins diesel engines and related equipment.
The inaugural group of students began Aug. 21, with the second group of 16 apprentice students starting in July 2018, followed by another group of 16 more in October 2018. The program will reach capacity in two and a half years with a total of 90 students per year enrolled at the university.
The apprentices are full-time Cummins employees, with the company paying all program expenses and providing a complete set of diesel technician tools. The program requires 1,200 university instructional hours, including lab, in-class, and online courses. In addition to the diesel and heavy equipment training, the apprentices will take math, English, communication, foundations of social life, personal financial management, technical writing, first aid, chemistry and workplace psychology courses.
The program is registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. Program applicants are required to have a high school diploma and meet minimum college entry grade-point average. Honorably discharged military veterans with equivalent college entry qualifications also are encouraged to apply for the program.
For more information about the Technician Apprenticeship Program at VU, or other diesel programs at VU, contact Tim Hale, [email protected], or Larry Stremming, [email protected].
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About Cummins, Inc.
Cummins Inc., a global power leader, is a corporation of complementary business segments that design, manufacture, distribute, and service diesel and natural gas engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions, and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (USA), Cummins currently employs approximately 55,400 people worldwide and serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of approximately 600 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 7,400 dealer locations. Cummins earned $1.39 billion on sales of $17.5 billion in 2016. For more information, visit cummins.com.
About Vincennes University
Vincennes is state-supported with campuses in Vincennes and Jasper and additional sites such as Indianapolis, Lebanon, and Gibson County. A leader in developing Early Colleges statewide, VU also offers instruction at military sites throughout the nation.
In addition to offering a wide range of associate degree and certificate programs, VU also offers bachelor’s degree programs in technology, homeland security, nursing, secondary education programs in mathematics and science, and special education/elementary education.
More information is available at vinu.edu.
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