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Greg Batten (standing), principal of Lee County High School, addresses a Feb. 29 gathering at the school on the new Caterpillar Youth Apprenticeship in welding program being launched by a collaboration of Lee County Schools, Central Carolina Community College, N.C. Department of Labor, and Caterpillar-Sanford. The two-year program, which starts in fall 2012, will provide selected high school juniors and seniors with welding training, certificates, paid work experience, and preferred hiring opportunities by Caterpillar.

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Cathy Swindell (left), Central Carolina Community College's director of Industry Services, and Linda Shook, chair of the Lee County Board of Commissioners, discuss the new Caterpillar Youth Apprenticeship welding program following the Feb. 29 program kickoff at Lee County High School. The new two-year program is a collaboration of Lee County Schools, Central Carolina Community College, N.C. Department of Labor, and Caterpillar-Sanford. It will provide selected high school juniors and seniors with welding training, certificates, paid work experience, and preferred hiring opportunities by Caterpillar.

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Donnie Oldham,(left), Lee County Economic Development Corporation board chairman; Bob Heuts, LCEDC director; and Julie Ammons, Human Resources director at Caterpillar-Sanford, discuss the new Caterpillar Youth Apprenticeship welding program following the Feb. 29 kickoff for the program at Lee County High School. The new two-year program is a collaboration of Lee County Schools, Central Carolina Community College, N.C. Department of Labor, and Caterpillar-Sanford. It will provide selected high school juniors and seniors with welding training, certificates, paid work experience, and preferred hiring opportunities by Caterpillar.