ANDERSON — Wearing a bright yellow hard hat personalized with a skull and crossbones sticker on the front and one that reads “Danger Apprentice” on the side, Jordan Lane showed Sen. Joe Donnelly and Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann the ins and outs of a sterilizer trolley.

Rebuilding trolleys at Nestlé, where he and Lane are mechanic apprentices in a partnership with Ivy Tech, costs about $8,000, Vincent Repscher explained Wednesday in the Anderson plant.

They were standing in the Breakdown Analysis Room where parts are taken and examined if a line breaks down while making one of the company’s many liquid products.

“What happens is if these parts are worn, it can lead to contamination,” Repscher said. “It’s very important to keep up the maintenance on the trolleys or there’s going to be a disaster.”

Participating in a program developed as a partnership between Nestlé and Ivy Tech, Lane and Repscher were on hand as Nestlé officials shared with the senator and college president plans to expand the apprenticeship program to the company’s plants nationwide.

A centuries-old practice started in Europe, apprenticeships allow participants to gain valuable on-the-job experience while attending classes. Most modern apprenticeships are in construction and technical trades.

“It’s so important for this community as we are rebuilding and getting stronger — and you can see it getting stronger — that it’s a part of Anderson’s comeback,” Donnelly said.

Nestle officials explained that because the number of skilled trades that are eligible for retirement continues to increase, the company is building the capability internally to ensure it continues to meet the current and future needs of the business.

The company said it is becoming harder and harder to find people with the technical talent to fill skilled trade roles and this is why it is so important that Nestle continues to develop this technical talent.

The company wanted to get ahead of the problem by offering the three-year program and hiring eight apprentices.

“We need the technical talent to keep up with these machines,”said factory manager Bryan Kaniuk. “You’re behind the wheel of a $15 million car ... If these instruments fail, you can lose a lot of money very quickly.”

Claire Berger, director of apprenticeships and internship for Ivy Tech, said she worked with Nestlé officials to determine the plant’s skill needs and develop a program based on courses already offered at the college.

“(The apprentices) bring practical experience to the classroom that helps less experienced students,” she said.

Jeff Buck, factory engineering manager for the Nestlé plant, supervises the apprentices, who fill actual open positions in the plant. He said the apprentices added value to the company right away.

Denise Fesik, education and training pillar project manager for Nestlé USA, said the company hopes that as much as 10 percent of its skilled trade workers in the U.S. within the Nestle USA, nutrition and professional factories as apprentices.

“These apprentice training programs give our apprentices opportunities to gain new skill sets and develop new competencies,” she said.

Ellspermann said she was pleased to see that Nestlé was investing in its own employees and that apprentices were coming off the production line.

“We see the return of apprenticeships and the expansion of apprenticeships across all of technology,” Ellspermann said. “I think apprentices are going to be important to developing not only the work ready but the working professional.”