On the Job Training

OJT, as it is commonly referred to by many people, is an acronym for "on the job training". At LATI, and more specifically, the Engineering program, it is a two-week period of time dedicated for first-year students to go out into the workplaces for which they are being trained.  This experience has been extremely beneficial for the students as well as the participating employers.

It is our goal and hope at Lake Area that by placing the OJT requirement close to the end of the first year of training, it will help reinforce much of what was taught during the first year of school and encourage the students to return and be even more energetic the second year.  For those students questioning their choice of occupation, it often solidifies the choice of continuing or changing their career goals. The experience students gain on OJT is invaluable in many ways.  It helps them narrow their career choices, gives them a taste of the "real world of work," and often opens an opportunity for summer employment related to their career goals.

The OJT program also enables many employers to "try out" prospective part-time help with a "no obligation" two-week period of time. This also often allows an employer to eventually hire full-time employees from that pool of OJT participants.

A three-part written agreement acknowledged by the school, student, and employer, plus at least minimum wage, is all that is required for an OJT contract to be valid. The employer is, however, required to fill out an evaluation on the student at the end of each week and mail it to the department.