Dolly Parton lamented the woes of the working world in her hit tune "9 to 5," but some local high school students are learning to sing its praises.

Over the past two years, the Southeast Ohio School-To-Apprenticeship Program has been helping students make the transition from high school to their future careers.

For 17-year-old Ironton High School senior Brandon Rimmer, the challenge of the real world has been eye opening.

"It's done me a lot of good. I haven't had anything bad out of it," Rimmer said.

Rimmer attends classes one week at Collins Career Center and then works one week at Liebert Corporation in Ironton. He is in the electrical apprenticeship program and spends eight hours a day/40 hours a week wiring electrical panels for air conditioners.

"I like it. I like how it's set up," Rimmer said. "I like it better than going (to school) a half day and working half a day."

Depending on the apprenticeship, students may attend classes one week/work one week or they may attend class half a day/work half a day. They are paid for their efforts on a pay scale relative to their experience. Students are required to maintain a 2.5 grade point average in their classes and a 95 percent attendance rate.

"They're treated like any other employee on the job," said Apprenticeship Coordinator Tom Spradlin. "They're required to carry their part of the load.

"That's the reason the companies don't care to hire them because they know that they've got complete control over whether they stay there or not," he said. "They're not obligated to keep them if they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing."

Students begin by working the summer between their junior and senior years. If they meet all the requirements of the apprenticeship program, they continue to work half time during their senior year. Upon graduation, they begin their second year as a full-time apprentice at the same company.

Spradlin said students could apprentice in a variety of fields.

"There's almost a 1,000 occupations that are 'apprenticeshipable' in the state of Ohio. It can be in any area," Spradlin said.

Therefore, the program is not limited to the traditional vocations of welding or electrical work like Rimmer does. Currently, apprenticeships exist in the health, computer and electronics fields, among others.

Spradlin said he is trying to get the word out about the possibilities available for both students and potential employers.

"There's a lot of other companies looking at it," he said. "We're just getting it started. Liebert is one of the first ones that we've gotten set up. We've got them all registered with the state and it's going real good."

One of the benefits for apprentices is the opportunity to earn and learn while planning for their future. Often, two-year stints lead into longer programs because companies continue training their young apprentices.

"When you pay someone a minimum wage, you can't expect too much out of them," Spradlin said. "But when you get a kid like this that gets paid a little more money, but they're getting someone they can train.

"Since it's a four or five year program, then that links them up and that company doesn't have as much turnover because they're pretty well obligated to stay there four or five years. Once they're there that long, they've got pretty good roots, pretty good benefits built up, they're into their retirement already. So it works good for the kids and the employers."

In order to participate in the apprenticeship program, employers go through the proper channels with the Ohio's Department of Labor. This enables them to employ 16 to 18-year-olds without violating child labor laws. Spradlin is responsible for helping employers set the process in motion.

Collins' Human Resource Development Coordinator Kelli Murphy said the process is worth the effort for all involved.

"I think it's been very successful up to this point," Murphy said. "I think that you'll find if you talk to some of the employers that these are really good, hard-working kids and they're really learning a lot. Not only in their program, but about the real world of work."

Spradlin admitted not all students are cut out for the program.

"We've had a few not make it," he said. "They just didn't want to work that hard and they didn't want to be there everyday."

A lot goes into making sure the students will thrive, though.

"The reason is, I don't put them out there unless their instructor recommends them and he thinks they're going to succeed because we want kids that will succeed or it's going to hurt the program," Spradlin said.

There's a simple reason why Spradlin puts so much effort into developing these apprenticeships.

"I'm sold on this program. I believe it works, but it takes a lot to implement and make it work," he said.

For anyone interested in the program, contact Collins Career Center at (740) 867-6641 or Spradlin at (740) 259-5522 or on his cell at (740) 357-4813.