Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. (HLR) congratulates Survey Apprentice, Ryan Baker, on his graduation from the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) Surveyor and Mapping Technician Training Program — a two-year USDOL-recognized apprenticeship program in partnership with Parkland College in Champaign, IL which helps introduce the profession and train the next generation of survey technicians.
Ryan is HLR’s first survey apprentice to participate in, and graduate from the program, recently earning his CST Level I certification from the National Society of Professional Surveyors.
The two-year apprenticeship program consists of in-person labs, online coursework, and on-the-job training as participants work full-time for a sponsoring employer to prepare for a career in surveying. Once accepted into the program, training is paid for by the apprentice’s sponsor employer. Apprentices have the option of continuing their education and may opt to convert their training to college credit toward a four-year degree in land surveying. To successfully complete the program, apprentices must pass the Certified Survey Technician Level I or Level II exams. Apprentices are then guaranteed a job with their employer upon completing the program.
"I was actually introduced to the apprentice program before it was officially rolled out. I was looking to find a career after college, so I reached out to Parkland College to inquire about their land surveying program, only expecting to hear about a typical community college curriculum that could potentially lead to a career. While Parkland does offer this, Kory Allred, Land Surveying Program Director, mentioned an apprentice program, still in the works at the time, that would offer a potential apprentice a job right out of the gate along with two years of classes to supplement on-the-job training. It was exactly what I was looking for, and I applied right away. I was then contacted by HLR expressing their interest in bringing on an apprentice and I moved to Elgin to start shortly thereafter. The program has been great. I would see things that I learned in class out in the field, and I learned more in-depth in class things I already encountered on the job. Two years later, I’m thankful for the program as a means of hitting the ground running in a new career. It’s been a great beginning with HLR!" — Ryan Baker, CST I, Survey Apprentice, Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. (HLR)
Illinois is just one of many states that has seen a decrease in the number of survey technicians entering the industry, but the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association, in partnership with Parkland College and participating employers, hope to bring positive change with the Surveyor and Mapping Technician Training Program.
HLR looks forward to the continued success of the program and its participation as a dedicated sponsor employer. For more information on the Surveyor and Mapping Technician Program, please visit www.iplsa.org.
Additional Resources:
- Students/Apprentices – For more information about the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) Surveyor and Mapping Technician Training Program, click here.
- For more information about the land surveying programs at Parkland College, click here.
- For more information about the Certified Surveyor Technician (CST) certification program sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors, click here.
- Click here to watch Ryan Roth, Policy Specialist at IPLSA and Jeni Lyon, President/CEO of HLR, as they discuss the Surveyor and Mapping Technician Training Program.
- Click here to watch participants in the IPLSA Surveyor and Mapping Technician Training Program discuss their experiences in the program.
If you are interested in participating in the Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) Surveyor and Mapping Technician Training Program, please contact Mike Mejia, Human Resources Manager, at mmejia@hlreng.com.
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