Celebrating Black History Month, the next person highlight by Eric Ramsey is Elijah McCoy.

By Eric Ramsey- Director of Apprenticeships. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The next person that I want to highlight is Elijah McCoy. Mr. McCoy was born free in Canada in 1844. At the age of three, Mccoy’s family moved to Michigan were he became a U.S. citizen. Later, at the age of fifteen, Elijah was sent to Scotland to become a mechanical engineer apprentice. After he completed his apprenticeship, Mr. McCoy returned to the states where he found it difficult to find work as an engineer. Eventually, he would work as a firefighter for a Michigan based railroad company where he would get his inspiration for one of his most notable inventions: the automatic lubricator for oiling the Steam engines of locomotives and ships.

During his lifetime, Eijah McCoy is credited with over 50 patents ranging from the folding ironing board to a lawn sprinkler system design.

The term “the real McCoy” originated from people during that time period referring to the quality of his inventions: If you had a McCoy, you knew it was a product of the highest quality.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: apprenticeships change lives and affects everyone involved.

APPRENTICESHIP = INNOVATION

Who will be the next apprentice that changes the world?

#apprenticeship #blackhistorymonth