Apprenticeships offer students the chance to learn a craft while earning a wage, from day one. An accredited apprenticeship program comes at little to no cost to the student, meaning no student debt. If you're looking for a career that offers great wages, benefits, profesisonal growth, and a stable retirement plan, it all begins with an apprenticeship!
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How would you like to receive a paycheck while being trained in a high-skill occupation that has a starting salary around $50,000? If that sounds appealing, you might want to consider participating in a Registered Apprenticeship program.
What is an apprenticeship?
Most Americans are familiar with the concept of an apprenticeship: the apprentice, or trainee, works for a period of time under the guidance of a mentor or expert in a field, gradually accumulating knowledge, skills and hands-on competency. Another way to think of it would be the opportunity to “earn while you learn” in a structured environment.
How is an apprenticeship different from other job training and education programs?
To start, apprentices receive a paycheck from day one that is guaranteed to increase as their training, knowledge, skills and abilities progress – no small benefit in an age of ballooning college costs and student loan debt. Apprenticeships (which can last from one to six years) also connect education and work simultaneously: apprentices gain industry-recognized credentials, and in many cases, college credits that can lead to an associate or bachelor’s degree.
Those credentials in turn often lead to a long-term, well-paying career. Over a career, someone who has gone through a Registered Apprenticeship program earns an estimated $300,000 more in salary and benefits than someone who did not. You can search for apprenticeship opportunities and program sponsors here. (Hint: look for the symbol.)
What is an employer’s role?
An individual business or an employer association usually sponsors a Registered Apprenticeship, sometimes in partnership with a labor organization. These “industry sponsors” of apprenticeships may include larger employers, labor-management organizations or the military. Industry sponsors make significant investments – an estimated $1 billion per year – to design and execute Registered Apprenticeship programs, provide jobs to apprentices, oversee training development, and provide hands-on learning and technical instruction for apprentices.
The benefits of sponsoring apprenticeships are that employers get a highly skilled workforce with higher productivity, high morale and lower turnover.
What’s ahead for apprenticeships?
Modern apprenticeships are on the cutting edge of innovation in preparing a skilled workforce for today’s industries. We’re continually expanding the Registered Apprenticeship system to meet 21st-century needs in expanding industries like health care, information technology and advanced manufacturing, as well as in industries like construction where apprenticeships have a long history.
To meet these needs, the Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship recently developed strategies in a “21st Century Vision for Apprenticeship.” We encourage you to learn more about both the history and the very important future of apprenticeships on our website: www.doleta.gov/oa.
Originally published on: https://blog.dol.gov/2014/01/28/apprenticeship-101-earn-while-you-learn/
John Ladd is the administrator of the Office of Apprenticeship within the Labor Department’s Employment and Training Administration.
