Butler Tech and Phillips Tube proudly celebrated the graduation of three apprentices: David Mathis, Colin Pettit, and Scott Tindle. The apprentices completed the rigorous maintenance track over three years, built through a strategic alignment between Butler Tech Adult Education and Phillips Tube in Middletown, Ohio. The apprenticeship model demonstrates how strategic industry-education partnerships with Butler Tech directly address workforce needs at a time when skilled technicians and millwrights are in high demand across Ohio.
CEO Angela Phillips reflected on the company’s legacy, noting that founder Ralph Phillips began his career through an apprenticeship program. This experience ultimately led him to establish the family business that has grown into a manufacturing powerhouse today. “The investment in our employees through partnering with Butler Tech has strengthened our ability to grow within the steel tube industry while also providing upward mobility for our employees and their families.”
This cohort completed 576 hours of technical instruction through Butler Tech, paired with thousands of hours of on-the-job training at Phillips Tube.
“From the outset, our focus was building a maintenance track that directly aligns with the required skillset for Phillips Tube Group Millwrights,” said Dennis Beam, Associate Director of Business & Industry Programs at Butler Tech Adult Education. “Millwrights perform in multiple capacities similar to skilled maintenance technicians that are essential to uptime, safety, and productivity. When employers and educators design training together, the result is a strengthened critical workforce pipeline.”
Graduate Colin Pettit reflected on how the dual approach shaped his learning experience. “As a maintenance crew, we’re in an environment and atmosphere vastly different than production. It requires the knowledge of working on equipment, troubleshooting, and learning the whys instead of the hows. There were some great teachers and instructors—guys who were also working jobs and going out of their way to teach us.”
Expanding on the technical growth he experienced during the program, Pettit explained, “If you know anything about economics and where we are in the world—these are good jobs. These are stable jobs. I’m very appreciative of the company and my experience throughout it all.”
In attendance was Holly Endicott, ApprenticeOhio Program Administrator, who emphasized the broader impact of apprenticeship programs. “An apprentice can not only affect a company, but their community as well. Once you’ve invested in a company, you’re invested in the community. Strong communities make a strong state.”
She further noted that partnering with a training provider like Butler Tech allows apprentices to earn industry-recognized credentials alongside their on-the-job experience. At Butler Tech, “one of their strong points is that they’re a very accommodating facility. They see the needs of the community, embrace it, and customize to help the company grow.”
Butler Tech and Phillips Tube are not only addressing skilled labor shortages with this apprenticeship, but they are also transforming student lives, strengthening the business community, and contributing to a more resilient workforce.
