Working It Out - Apprenticeships in the Wild
Creation Date: 07/13/2026
Haumiller Engineering, located in South Elgin, Illinois, hired three new apprentices this summer, bringing their total to five in the CNC Machinist occupation. Three apprentices were incumbent workers seeking to upskill, and two were high school interns who were offered apprenticeships after graduating high school. The company continues to be a key partner of Elgin Community College's (ECC) workforce development division, participating in job fairs, interview days, and the annual Apprenticeship Expo.
As ECC prepares for the grand opening of the new Manufacturing and Technology Center (MTC), growing apprenticeship programs will benefit.
Apprenticeship partners like Haumiller Engineering, which designs and manufactures automated assembly and test equipment for products in the life science, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries, the value of this type of partnership is already clear.
“ECC has made it really easy for us to build an apprenticeship program,” said machining manager Ivan Colon. “We’re able to bring in students, train them, and give them a real career path — something they can build on whether they stay with us or not.”
The MTC’s physical presence matters, too.
“Just having the space to expand so programs aren’t limited — that’s huge,” Colon said. “And when people drive by and see that facility, it’s going to spark curiosity. The visibility alone is going to bring more people into manufacturing.”
Haumiller and its apprenticeship program were highlighted on Elgin Community College's Working It Out Article.
Pictured is apprentice mentor Ivan Colon in the foreground and 2nd-year apprentice Henry Piehl in the background.