Facing growing demand for skilled technicians, Dover Food Retail (DFR) launched a Registered Apprenticeship Program in 2024 to develop electromechanical talent from within. With support from the Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA) and the Manufacturing Skills Institute (MSI), DFR is building a workforce pipeline that meets business needs while creating real career opportunities for employees.
Apprenticeship in Action
In 2024, Dover Food Retail found the answer to its growing demand for qualified personnel to service and maintain the automation equipment that builds DFR’s commercial and industrial refrigeration products. With the launch of its Registered Apprenticeship Program, the company is developing a pipeline of certified electromechanical technicians to fill key roles at its Richmond, VA plant.
The DFR Apprenticeship is a three-year, hybrid competency- and time-based program. It consists of on-the-job training and education administered both online and through hands-on community partners, such as Brightpoint Community College and the Manufacturing Skills Institute.
“Through our membership in the Virginia Manufacturers Association, we were able to collaborate with Apprenticeship Specialist Caitlin Dawson to finalize the structure of our program and meet apprenticeship registration requirements. Additional partnerships with local governmental and academic institutions enabled us to comprehensively tie all the elements together into a program that fits our business needs and provides career growth opportunities for our team members," said Stephen Nofzinger, Director of Human Resources at DFR.
Keith Belfon and Derrick Coaxum are thriving as the first two candidates selected for apprenticeships. Out of the dozens of internal and external applicants who applied, Belfon and Coaxum received the highest assessment scores, securing their place in the program.
Belfon, who previously worked as an Assembly Lead Coordinator for DFR, said he entered the program to advance in his career and better provide for his family.
“This apprenticeship has enabled me to learn so much more in my field. It requires a lot of hard work and patience, but the training I am receiving is well worth the effort," said Keith Belfon.
“Life is about advancement. You should never settle. You should never stop striving. I look forward to completing the program and applying the training I’m learning in the classroom to the actual job," said Derrick Coaxum.
Nofzinger said DFR is leveraging the support from the Virginia Manufacturers Association, along with government and academic partners, to launch Registered Apprenticeship skilled trade programs at its other sites across the United States.
This article originally appeared on the Manufacturing Skills Institute site.