AJAC Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeships

We’re honored to be part of Governor Bob Ferguson’s new Washington Space Council and recognizing the critical role education and workforce development play in keeping Washington at the forefront of space exploration and manufacturing.

At AJAC, we’re proud to train the skilled workforce needed to build what’s next, and we’re excited to help shape Washington’s future in space.

The future of space starts with the people who build it!

Read more: https://governor.wa.gov/news/2026/governor-ferguson-creates-governors-space-council

Know your way around a mill and lathe? Know how to teach it, too?

AJAC is hiring a full-time machining instructor to help expand manufacturing training across Snohomish County.

You’ll teach hands-on skills like:

• Manual mill and lathe
• GD&T and technical drawings
• Blueprint reading and precision measurement
• Shop math and safety

If you’re an experienced machining professional who enjoys helping others build real skills, we’d like to hear from you.

Learn more and apply: https://www.ajactraining.org/about/careers/

AJAC’s FAST Certificate Courses give employers a practical way to build specific skills without committing to a full apprenticeship.

These short, hands-on courses draw from AJAC’s apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship curriculum, focusing on the skills your team needs and can put to work right away.

When you have a specific skill gap to address, FAST gives you a focused way to train for it.

8 Ways AJAC Can Train Your Team: https://www.ajactraining.org/employers/fast-certificate/

A lot of smiles today at the Aerospace Future Alliance’s annual Aerospace Summit at the Museum of Flight.

Our Executive Director, Lynn Strickland, joined a panel discussion on the future of workforce development and what it will take to keep Washington’s aerospace industry strong.

Then came a pretty great surprise: AJAC was presented with AFA’s Talent Pipeline Award!

We’re proud to be part of the workforce development community helping prepare the next generation of skilled manufacturing and aerospace talent.

What happens after you complete Manufacturing Academy?

You get to work with our Career Navigation Team.

They help you sharpen your resume, improve your cover letter, practice your interview skills, and connect with local employers who are hiring and ready to bring new talent into apprenticeship.

That’s exactly what Casey and Brian did after completing Manufacturing Academy this past spring. Now, they’re both starting this fall quarter as machinist apprentices through Renton Coil Spring.

Manufacturing Academy gets you trained. Career Navigation helps you take the next step.

Congratulations to our summer Manufacturing Academy graduates!

Today, this group wrapped up 10 weeks of hands-on training through our partnership with South Seattle College, building the skills and knowledge they need to take their first steps into advanced manufacturing.

Over the past three months, they tackled manufacturing math, hand tools, shop safety, precision measurement, blueprint reading and GD&T, lean manufacturing, mills and lathes, and CNC programming.

Not sure where to start if you’re interested in a career in manufacturing? Manufacturing Academy is a great place to begin.

We’re launching new cohorts later this month. Learn more and find out how to get started: https://www.ajactraining.org/programs/manufacturing-academy/

🎣 From the shop floor to the bass boat

This past June, Leana graduated from AJAC’s Logistics Specialist apprenticeship program through her employer, RTCA. When she’s not putting her logistics skills to work, you’ll find her competing on the bass fishing circuit.

Last week, we spent some time with Leana filming a new video about her apprenticeship journey. Her story, her career, and what it takes to become a Logistics Specialist. That video drops in a few weeks!

Four generations. One machine shop. And now, one more machinist in the family.

Two months after graduating high school this past June, Ella enrolled in AJAC’s four-year machining apprenticeship.

Ella grew up at New Tech Industries in Mukilteo, where her mom, Gina Morken, is co-owner of the family’s women-owned machine shop. She’s been around machines and precision parts for as long as she can remember.

Now she’s following in the footsteps of her dad, grandfather, and great-grandfather, becoming the fourth generation of her family to pursue a career in machining.

Not a bad way to start your career!

For Gina, this was definitely a proud mom moment. For the whole Morken family, it’s something even bigger: a family tradition that’s officially getting a new generation.

Welcome to AJAC, Ella. We’re glad to have you.