The Apprentice

What exactly is an apprenticeship? An “apprenticeship” is a system of employee training that combines on-the-job training with related educational instruction. Traditionally, an apprenticeship has been in a trade or craft, but today’s apprenticeship programs have a much wider reach and exist in engineering, fire fighting and police work, health care, computer software design, aircraft piloting, veterinarian assistance, food preparation (including chefs), and many other trades and professions.

What are the benefits of apprenticeships? These training arrangements are an extremely effective and efficient way for employers to hire highly qualified employees. By the time an apprenticed worker is fully trained, the person has conformed to specified professional standards, is generally more productive than the average worker, is more committed to the profession and the employer that has provided the training, and has high job satisfaction. Also, employers may pay reduced wages to apprentices while they are training and may receive aid from their state apprenticeship council or from the federal Office of Apprenticeship (OA) (http://www.doleta.gov/oa/).

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How do you go about setting up an apprenticeship program? As a supervisor, your role in setting up the program may be limited, but if you feel an apprenticeship program can help your department, you can pull together some research to present to your employer. The first step is to decide whether the occupation in question is suitable for apprenticeship training. OA provides apprenticeship services in all states. Employers can contact a local OA office to help identify work processes for the occupation, develop standards of apprenticeship for registration, and recruit applicants from within or outside the workplace.

Employers or groups of employers usually go into partnership with a union to outline a program and arrange financing. The program would normally include an on-the-job training outline, related classroom instruction, curriculum, and the apprenticeship operating procedures. These programs are then registered with OA or an OA-recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA).

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Apprenticeships have been around for hundreds of years because they are a practical and effective way to get good workers and provide good jobs. Consider whether apprenticeship training may be right for your situation.

Why It Matters

• More than 31,000 sponsors have implemented apprenticeship programs to meet their specific training needs.
• They employ some 480,000 apprentices committed to advancing the ideals and goals of their employers.
• Apprenticeships may be a good fit to ensure a continual supply of good workers for your organization.

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