COEUR d’ALENE — Dozens of North Idaho College Workforce Training apprentices crossed the stage June 4 in a graduation ceremony that reflected not only years of grit, sacrifice and hands-on learning, but one of the strongest apprenticeship training programs in the country.
The NIC Workforce Training Center’s overall trades apprenticeship completion rate for 2024-25 was 90.2%, well above Idaho’s nation-leading state average of 71.86% and far beyond the national average of about 46.5%, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship.
That success was visible in the Schuler Performing Arts Center, where more than 130 graduating apprentices from a class of more than 200 were celebrated by families, friends, instructors and employers. The graduates represented five trades disciplines: electrical, HVAC, plumbing, heavy equipment operation and construction.
For many, the ceremony marked the completion of years spent balancing full-time work with classroom instruction. Apprentices in NIC Workforce Training programs work under the guidance of skilled professionals, receiving on-the-job training while completing rigorous related instruction that prepares them to advance in their trades.
North Idaho College President Nick Swayne told the graduates that’s what makes apprenticeship such a powerful model.
“It does more than teach a trade,” Swayne said. “It builds confidence, character and a deep respect for doing important work well. It connects learning to purpose and skills to opportunity.”
It was not a typical graduation ceremony.
There were no caps and gowns. There were a few suits and dress pants, but mostly work boots, jeans, trucker hats and wide-brimmed Western hats. A few of those hats were thrown into the air and into the audience as happy graduates crossed the stage to receive their certificates.
One enthusiastic graduate cartwheeled across the stage.
The evening was serious in its purpose, but often punctuated by cheers, applause, hoots and hollers from happy families, friends and employers eager to celebrate the milestone with their apprentices.
For Colby Mattila, executive director of Workforce and Economic Development at NIC, the ceremony was about more than certificates and completion numbers. It was about the people behind them, the apprentices who showed up after long days on job sites, the employers who invested in their training and the families who supported them through years of early mornings, late nights and busy schedules.
“An apprenticeship isn’t just training, it’s transformation,” Mattila told the graduates. “You entered into this program with curiosity and potential, and you’re leaving with confidence and capability.”
Swayne said the graduates’ work makes a difference far beyond the stage.
When people think of first responders, he said, they often think of police and fire personnel. But when the air conditioning goes out, the heat quits working or a home needs safe electrical or plumbing work, skilled tradespeople are the ones people count on.
“This is not the end of your learning, but proof that you are ready for what comes next. Keep showing up. Keep learning. Keep taking pride in your craft,” Swayne said. “The future will always belong to people who know how to build, solve, repair, lead and serve. As you move forward, remember this. Your work matters. It matters to your family. It matters to your employer. It matters to this region.”
NIC is also offering each graduating apprentice a $1,000 scholarship to continue their education, should they choose to take the next step.
Apprentices who complete NIC Workforce Training programs are able to apply their non-credit learning toward North Idaho College credit, creating a pathway to an associate of applied science degree with the completion of additional NIC coursework, generally around five classes.
For Arrty Rude, the evening was especially meaningful.
A longtime instructor who became apprenticeship manager in August 2025, Rude was presiding over his first apprenticeship graduation since stepping into the role. He spoke to the graduates not only as a program leader, but as someone who knows the path they have chosen.
“We celebrate your years of sacrifice and persistence,” Rude said. “It has not always been easy or convenient. It took devotion to your trade, and you had to reach deep down at times to do what many that started the course didn’t complete.”.
Their success as journeymen, he said, will still demand much from them.
“Who knew back in 1996, when I became a journeyman, that I would be standing before you as an instructor and now as the Apprenticeship Program Manager,” Rude said. “Who knows what adventures you will have as you start the next phase of your career? You made it through your various programs. May you be blessed in your chosen field of work.”
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