Business
As the Constellium Skilled Trades Scholarship program enters its second year, the Ravenswood facility and West Virginia University Parkersburg are celebrating 10 new student recipients with a signing ceremony today.
The Skilled Trades Scholarship program, a collaboration between Constellium and WVU Parkersburg, provides financial assistance to selected high school graduates to help them earn an associate degree in Multi-Craft Technology or Reliability and Maintenance Technology. After students complete their degree, they are eligible to enter a five-year full-time employment agreement with Constellium Ravenswood.
“This is a great opportunity for students to earn a degree and start a skilled trade career with us,” said Buddy Stemple, CEO of Constellium Ravenswood LLC. “We are always eager to train and recruit talent in our local communities and we thank West Virginia University Parkersburg for their leadership and their long-term partnership with us. I would also like to thank the West Virginia Department of Commerce and our local leaders for their continued support and engagement.”
“This is a real opportunity for students in the Mid-Ohio Valley to experience an academic path to a trades position,” said Dr. Torie Jackson, WVU Parkersburg Vice President of Institutional Advancement. “By partnering with companies like Constellium, we are able to provide programs that meet the needs of employers and help students find employment.”
The signing ceremony will feature virtual messages from Senator Joe Manchin and Governor Jim Justice. Constellium Ravenswood CEO Buddy Stemple, WV CTC Chancellor Sarah Tucker, WVU Parkersburg President Chris Gilmer, WV Department of Commerce Secretary Ed Gaunch, and a representative of Senator Shelly Moore Capito will participate in the ceremony.
Constellium’s location in Ravenswood, West Virginia, is one of the world’s largest rolled aluminium products facilities. The plant produces plate, sheet and coil products for aerospace, defense, transportation, marine and other industrial uses. Constellium Ravenswood is the largest employer in Jackson County and one of the top 50 businesses in West Virginia.