APPRENTICESHIP
Employers follow a proven career route to attract high-potential workers
Typically, a registered apprenticeship includes at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 144 hours of classroom instruction.
In search of highpotential workers, many employers are taking a fresh look at an antiquated model — the apprenticeship. This unpredictable job market has proven a college education is not the surefire ticket to a career everyone thought it was. Another career route is an apprenticeship, an option enjoying a renaissance.
Since 2010 apprenticeships have risen more than 64%. The number of apprentices registered with the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics exceeded 636,000 in 2020 (latest figure available), a 64% jump from the level of a decade ago. Even though there was a brief plateau during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ranks of registered apprentices have increased every year since 2011.
The traditional workforce training model, which allows apprentices to earn a living while they master a trade on the job, has grown more popular. And for good reason. What better way to be taught a hands-on trade by journeymen craftspeople at the same time?
The renewed interest in regimented apprenticeship has triggered new interest from policymakers. Reportedly, former President Trump said he intended to make it easier for companies to create apprenticeships. And President Biden made it is clear he intends to go even further. His American Jobs Plan proposes $48 billion for workforce training, including the creation of “one to two million new registered apprenticeships slots.” Bipartisan interest in expanding apprenticeships as a gateway to the middle class makes perfect sense. Statistics have proven that people who complete an apprenticeship increase their earnings by hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout their careers.
In Florida, for example, apprentices earn approximately $48,000 during the first year of their careers; compared to only $29,000 for graduates of the state’s associate’s degree programs.
For most people, the most compelling aspect is that apprentices receive a wage while they are in training so they’re not burdened by student debt. That takes an enormous of pressure off career-builders.
Tamar Jacoby, president of Opportunity America, a Washingtonbased nonprofit working to promote economic mobility, calls apprenticeships the “gold standard” for workforce training.
Typically, a registered apprenticeship includes at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training and 144 hours of classroom instruction. “On-the-job learning and classroom learning reinforce each other,” explains Jacoby. Not only are apprentices practicing what they learned in class on the job, but the hands-on experience helps them understand why they’re taking that class in the first place.
Said Jacoby, “Many people have told me: ‘I never paid attention in math class until I started welding.’” However, apprenticeships are very different than preparing for a technical career. In fact, they’re often confused. When preparing for a technical career, your options for training and building skills are more focused. Students preparing for technical careers are likely to attend technical school or trade school, or pursue an apprenticeship instead of attending a fouryear college. In-depth training involves more hands-on work offered through specific programs.
Here are a few pros to think about if considering a technical school.
• Technical schools provide the same handson training that you would experience in an apprenticeship, but you also get an education on the science.
• Often training includes developing “soft skills” such as communication inside and outside of the workplace, writing skills, time management strategies, even time spent learning how to create and stick to a budget.
• Career specialists are available to help connect students with job opportunities, coach them through writing their resumes and prepare them so they know what to expect when interviewed by employers.