William Streit, a hemp processing facility operator for South Bend Industrial Hemp Processing in Great Bend, recently completed his yearlong apprenticeship through Kansas Farm Bureau's (KFB) award-winning Rural Kansas Apprenticeship Program (RKAP).

"I invested a lot into this training program because I see a career pathway available to me," Streit says. "One of my favorite parts of the apprenticeship was learning about hydraulics, which has allowed me to perform repairs on machinery."

KFB served as the intermediary sponsor working with Streit, South Bend Industrial Hemp Processing and the Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship to assist in the administration of his training.

South Bend processes Kansas-grown industrial hemp into bast and hurd, which have a number of uses in manufacturing and agricultural industries.

"We are excited about William's progress through RKAP, and his development has made our repair bills smaller and less frequent," says Melissa Nelson-Baldwin, a co-founder of South Bend Industrial Hemp. "William is exactly who we were looking for when we offered the state's first certified apprenticeship in hemp processing."

Streit says he's convinced his mother to relocate to Great Bend from Oregon because he sees the long-term potential in his role at South Bend.

"RKAP was designed to connect talented workers with careers in rural Kansas," says Kylee Stout, RKAP business development manager. "South Bend is an ideal partner because the company is a committed member of the Barton County community and contributes to the area's economic success."

RKAP helps agriculture-related businesses and those operating in rural Kansas build customized apprenticeships based on their needs.

RKAP assists businesses with curriculum development and manages reporting requirements associated with apprenticeships. To learn more, visit https://www.kfb.org/RKAP or contact Stout at [email protected].