To fill a need for qualified electrical technicians, Nucor, the largest mini-mill steel manufacturer in the US, is sponsoring full-ride scholarships.
Jacob Bailey, a Maryville High School senior, has received the scholarship from Nucor LMP to attend Shelton Community College in Tuscaloosa, AL. Nucor has worked with the community college to offer a two year program which allows recipients to graduate with an electrical technician associate’s degree.
The scholarship is estimated to be worth in excess of $100,000 and will provide Bailey with housing, full tuition, full-time pay and on-the-job training. Bailey will work at the Nucor plant in Tuscaloosa for half of the day and take classes the other half.
He will work in the Maryville plant during breaks and the summer. Nucor will pay travel expenses for Bailey to return to Maryville twice a year. Nucor’s intention is to hire Bailey full time on the completion of the program.
“I’m very excited,” said Bailey, the son of Jim and Melanie Bailey, Maryville. “It’ll be an exciting adventure that I will start on August 1.”
Art Filips, an electrical engineer with Nucor LMP, Maryville, did presentations at Northwest Technical School, as soon as he knew about the program in spring 2014. After the presentation in the fall, several students followed up with local plant tours. Interviews then narrowed the choice to Bailey.