Wall Colmonoy is building the next generation of a skilled furnace workforce by launching a three-year Furnace Apprenticeship Program at its Los Lunas, NM, facility. In partnership with the University of New Mexico-Valencia, Americas Job Center Los Lunas, and the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, this state-funded apprenticeship program is designed to train and develop skilled furnace operators through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on experience.
“People know we are here, but they do not really know what we do,” said Angelica Ordonez, Human Resources Manager at Wall Colmonoy. “It is a unique environment-a foundry where we melt metal. When we saw the need to recruit more furnace operators, we partnered with New Mexico Workforce Solutions and UNM-Valencia to build a pipeline of skilled talent.”
Apprentices begin with a rotating schedule during the first year, spending three weeks on the job followed by one week of classroom learning at the UNM-Valencia Workforce Training Center. After the first year, apprentices transition into full-time work, continuing their development across four key areas of furnace operations: Charge Making, Processing, Ladle Room, and the Melt Deck…