More eager to return to his craft than to participate in any pageantry, Riggs Martin reluctantly stepped away from his work to be honored and recognized on Nov. 13 at IFP Motion Solutions in Cedar Rapids as the first person to complete the High School Registered Apprenticeship program in welding.
Just ahead of National Apprenticeship Week on Nov. 17-23, Martin was joined by his family, coworkers and representatives from the Iowa Department of Education, Kirkwood Community College, Alburnett High School and Grant Wood Area Education Agency to commemorate the landmark accomplishment and success of the apprenticeship program.
Sponsored by Grant Wood AEA and backed by the specialized training at the Kirkwood Community College Regional Center, the High School Registered Apprenticeship Program creates a community approach to preparing students for in-demand careers and addressing the needs of Iowa's growing workforce through multiple educational pathways. Martin's program required a full year of college-level welding training at the Kirkwood Regional Center Welding Academy, followed by 2,000 hours of experience at IFP Motion Solutions and the ability to demonstrate career competencies.
For Martin, welding has always been an interest since learning the basics of the trade through FFA projects and on his grandfather's farm. Originally, he planned to pursue a future in agricultural engineering but quickly learned that was not his ideal path.
"I realized that I wasn't interested in more schooling after high school,” Martin said. "During COVID, I didn't like online classes and wasn't interested in working on a computer. I always knew that I wanted to go into some kind of trade."
Riggs' enthusiasm for welding and a career in a trade continued to grow and push him toward those future opportunities.
"We know that some of our students don't always learn in the most traditional setting, and schools are getting so much better about meeting students where they're at and creating opportunities that will help connect them to their passion and to their future," said Kirkwood Community College Executive Dean of K-12 Partnerships Kristy Black. "And the welding profession is something that our students can make a wonderful living at and have a great future."
Thanks to a last-minute opening in the Kirkwood Community College welding program, Martin got a jumpstart on that future.
"When I found out about the Regional Center class, I switched paths to give that a shot, even though it was a bit of a struggle to get in," Martin said. "Actually, I was told the day before class started, 'you're in, show up tomorrow at 7 a.m. with steel toes [boots].'"
Under the guidance of Kirkwood instructor Scott Corell, Martin continued to grow in his welding abilities while also gaining experience in CNC milling and lathe operations. Near the end of his coursework, Martin learned about the apprenticeship program and secured his position at IFP Motion Solutions, where he worked the summer between his junior and senior years. With the cooperation of Alburnett High School's leadership, Martin worked morning hours at IFP during his senior year while also earning high school credit.
The day after he graduated from Alburnett High School on May 26, 2024, Martin began working full-time at IFP.
"We were able to shape and mold him and end up with a full-time employee out of it," said IFP Motion Solutions shop supervisor Bob Williams. "In this field, we struggle to find people. To have people come in, like Riggs, where they get the foundation from the program, and then we get to hone those skills and be a part of that shaping and molding process has been a huge benefit for us."
While Martin started at IFP with a background and training in welding, his experience and mentors in the workplace have allowed him to diversify that skill set into working in every facet of IFP's operations. In addition to his welding, Martin works on hydraulic power units, pump motor group assemblies, manifold and cylinder repairs.
"We've worked to present him with challenges," Williams said. "My No. 1 thing I wanted to do with Riggs was to help him think on his own. We had projects to do, and it's like, 'How would you attack this project? This is the end goal and what it is supposed to look like.' He needed to figure out how to fix things up and provide good, quality work."
Getting Martin into the workforce at IFP was the result of the efforts of Grant Wood AEA, Kirkwood Community College and Alburnett High School as they navigated this program for the first time.
"It takes a village to pull off a partnership like this," Black said. "You don't always realize the moving parts to make something like this happen, and those equal parts make a nice system and opportunity for our high school students in this region."
Alburnett High School principal Brian Moretz and school counselor Sue Tull were two staff members instrumental in helping facilitate the apprenticeship program and guiding Martin in its direction.
"For us to be able to give our kids this experience in high school is what it is all about to me," Moretz said. "Our goal is to make sure that when they walk across the stage as graduates, they have an idea and opportunity to go off and do what they want. This is just one success story that I hope we can build on."
In addition to meeting the needs of those students, the High School Registered Apprenticeship Program also helps meet the needs of the local community and workforce with trained, skilled workers.
"This town has a lot of industry, and there are a lot of industries surrounding it," Williams said. "It's a great program to shape and mold young people into people like Riggs, who I think is going to be a great employee. I think it was a win-win for both of us."
Martin hopes the path he's blazed as the program's first completer shows other students the pathways beyond the classroom and encourages them to follow those opportunities.
"Go with what you find an interest in," Martin said. "I'm more of a hands-on person. Look at the Kirkwood regional classes and local college classes. It sets you up for a lot, and the world isn't going around without people doing these jobs."