Two members of the Easton High School Class of 2022 have completed apprenticeships through the Maryland Youth Apprenticeship Program.
Matthew Cauffman, an Easton High School Culinary Arts Program graduate, completed an Apprenticeship with The Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels. A premiere eastern shore Resort nestled on the banks of the Miles River, the Inn offers a surprising number of unique spaces for ceremonies, receptions and honeymoons.
“Matt, Has been an absolute delight to have in the kitchen. He started off as a quite shy young man and has really bloomed into a strong culinarian,” said Gregory James, Executive Chef, and Matt’s supervisor. “He has found his voice and now is one of our best cooks, and has learned new stations and has a super positive deposition. When I look at Matt, I no longer see a high school student, I see a future leader of our kitchen.”
One of the best things the program teaches is a great work ethic, Cauffman explained in a recent interview. “You have to manage your time between schoolwork, classes, and coming to work for extensive hours,” he explains. “You have to dedicate yourself to it. It has taught good work ethic, which I think is good for a lot of young people.”After graduating, Matt has continued his promising career at Inn at Perry Cabin.
Photo: Matthew Cauffman (right) an Easton High School Culinary Arts Program graduate, completed an Apprenticeship with The Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels under the direction of Gregory James, Executive Chef (left).
William Burgess completed his apprenticeship with The Whalen Company as an Engineering Apprentice. Headquartered in Easton, The Whalen Company is one of America’s most innovative leaders in the commercial heating and air conditioning industry. Will plans to attend Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in Engineering.
“Will worked with the Whalen Engineering Lab Technicians building prototype water source heat pumps and preparing them for performance testing. These tasks included part fabrication, copper pipe brazing, electrical wiring, component assembly, and instrumentation for data acquisition,” explained Michael Colletti, Vice President of Engineering. “He assisted with installing the equipment in the test lab and conducting performance testing. Will also helped with field returns failure analysis and assembly for the production lines.”
“The hands on skills learned in our Engineering Lab can be a valuable stepping stone for any student desiring to pursue a career in HVAC service and installation,” Mr. Colletti added. “For a student like Will who is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree and is working towards a career in Mechanical Engineering, this experience provides valuable insight into the practical side of Engineering work.”
“Working with Whalen has been a pleasure and an incredible experience,” Burgess said in his final presentation. “Not many people my age are given such amazing opportunities. The engineering team at Whalen understood that I wanted to absorb as much information as humanly possible, and made sure that I did.”
Easton High senior William Burgess completed an Apprenticeship at The Whalen Company as a Lab Engineering Apprentice. (left to right) Michael Colletti, Will Burgess, George Slaughenhoupt, Allen Banks, and Ryan Faini.
“We are so grateful to these local employers, who have gone above and beyond to provide quality apprenticeship opportunities for our students,” said Mrs. Danielle Haley, TCPS School-to-Career Specialist. “These successes are a testament to their commitment to the Apprenticeship Maryland program and to building our future workforce.”
The Apprenticeship Maryland Program is a collaboration between the Maryland Department of Labor, the Maryland State Department of Education, the Department of Commerce, participating school systems, and community business and educational partners. Founded in 2015 as a pilot in Frederick and Washington Counties, the program expanded to Talbot and Queen Anne’s Counties early in 2019.
The program is intended to allow high school juniors and seniors to develop valuable job skills and get a head start on future careers. At the same time, the goal is to support Maryland businesses by training talented, highly skilled workers, a much-needed resource. “The Maryland Youth Apprenticeship program is a wonderful partnership,” explains Robin Werner, TCPS Career and Technology Education Supervisor. ‘It provides Eastern Shore students the opportunity to work with professionals in their area of interest to help guide them as they begin to make future career choices.”
Youth apprenticeship program students work at least 450 hours with an approved employer, while receiving related educational training and an hourly wage. The students can begin working with a state-approved employer during the summer after their junior year in high school.
The county school systems coordinate student placements with local businesses. Talbot County students who are interested in becoming an apprentice may contact Danielle Haley, School-to-Career Specialist at [email protected]. Employers wishing to participate in the program should contact Robert Zimberoff, Eastern Shore Apprenticeship & Training Navigator at [email protected].
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