6 S T U F F • 2 0 1 9 • StuffMadeinMA.com
Apprenticeships teach on the job
Massachusetts workers skip the
traditional get-educated-before-
you-get-a-job path through
manufacturing programs
B Y L I V I A G E R S H O N
A
nderson Varela started work at
AccuRounds in Avon this past April,
running a CNC machine. Just a few
months later, he got the chance to be
part of a new apprenticeship pro-
gram at the company, combining
online and classroom work with on-the-job training.
The opportunity answered a question he'd had before
he started his career in the manufacturing industry.
"I was really confused in school how I would be able
to better my knowledge in the field and basically move
up," Varela said. "When I started here and they men-
tioned the apprenticeship, it really opened my eyes."
AccuRounds is just one of the manufacturing com-
panies around the state piloting apprenticeship pro-
$88,581
Average annual pay
of a Massachusetts
manufacturing employee
244,900
Manufacturing
employees in
Massachusetts
in 2018
Source: U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics
Advance finish
AccuRounds, Avon
Lives: Brockton
What he does: Polishing, deburring,
and fixing parts after the come out of
the machines.
Body builder: Enjoys working out,
including weightlifting
Helder "Larry"
Canuto, 27
P H O T O / M I C H A E L PA P E T T I
VIDEO LINK
SEE PAGE 3
