E-911 Apprenticeship program signs first participants

The City of Kingsport will hold a signing event later this month for the first participants in its newly created E-911 Dispatch Apprenticeship Program.

The signing event will be held in the third floor boardroom of City Hall (415 Broad Street) at 2 p.m. on May 19. State and city officials will be on hand to speak about the importance of apprenticeship programs in Tennessee.

“Apprenticeships can be a pathway to quality, sustainable employment for Tennesseans,” said Holly Free-Ollard, assistant administrator and state apprenticeship director with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. “This earn while you learn model is a solution that directly addresses workforce challenges our employers face every day.”

Kingsport’s E-911 Dispatch Apprenticeship Program – the first of its kind in Northeast Tennessee – involves classroom and on-the-job training with a mentor during a 12-month period. Participants receive salary increases while in the program and once complete, receive a nationally recognized certification in E-911 dispatch.

Apprenticeship programs help address hiring challenges, strengthen long-term employment opportunities and bring stability to the city’s workforce. Kingsport’s program was made possible through a $10,000 grant from the First Tennessee Development District.

“This is a ground-breaking opportunity for us to address some hiring challenges we’ve experienced over the last couple of years,” said Kingsport Police Chief Dale Phipps. “I’m also looking forward to expanding this program to other career choices within public safety.”