Innovation:
Apprenticeship programs
One innovation that provides a different kind of progressive learning opportunity is the use of apprenticeship models in career advancement/career ladder programs. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, apprentices are employees who receive on-the-job learning, mentoring, and incremental wage increases that are linked to training and job proficiency. (see http://www.doleta.gov/OA/inbenef.cfm).
A formal, government-sanctioned apprenticeship program must adhere to a number of standards. For example, the program must include:
- full and fair opportunity to apply for apprenticeship
- a schedule of work processes in which an apprentice is to receive training and experience on the job
- organized instruction designed to provide apprentices with knowledge in technical subjects related to their trade (e.g., a minimum of 144 hours per year is normally considered necessary)
- a progressively increasing schedule of wages
- proper supervision of on-the-job training with adequate facilities to train apprentices
- tracking of apprentice’s progress, both in job performances and related instruction
- no discrimination in any phase of selection, employment, or training (www.doleta.gov/OA/characte.cfm)
The standards are then registered with the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training (BAT) or a BAT-recognized State Apprenticeship Council (SAC) or Agency. The BAT can provide guidance and support, and it can authorize a formal, national certification for those who complete the program.
There are many benefits to apprenticeship models. Workers benefit because:
- There is an opportunity to continue training while earning a wage
- There are progressive wage increases over the term of training
- There are nationally (and often internationally) recognized credentials upon completion
- Workers gain skills that are transferable
- After completion, workers have higher earning potential and greater financial security
- There are more opportunities for future training and advancement
- Many programs offer college credit (Chenven, 2004).
Employers, in return, gain skilled workers, reduced turnover, and improved productivity and quality.
Since 2001, the Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (OATELS) has led efforts to expand the apprenticeship model into new areas, particularly in high growth industries such as health care, transportation, advanced manufacturing, and information technology. Examples of these programs are found on the OATELS website, as are links to the standards developed for the registered programs (http://www.doleta.gov/OA/).
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