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Linchpins, fossil words, and apprenticeship
English is a language full of quirks. Its rules around spelling and pronunciation are haphazard at best. It also has a bevy of antiquated words that, for whatever reason, have stuck around long past their expiry date. These are “fossil words”, terms that are broadly obsolete but remain relevant due to a memorable phrase or idiom. Think of “amok” (as in “run amok”) or “fro” (as in “to and fro”) — even the most verbose likely don’t know their meaning, much less use them in daily speech.
One such term is “linchpin”. Emerging from a Middle English term, a linchpin is a fastener used to prevent a wheel from sliding off its axle. Despite its contemporary usage limited to horse-drawn carriages, the word has exploded in popularity in recent years and is routinely used to describe something vital to an operation. Oddly, then, “linchpin” represents both the essential and outdated, the commonplace and antiquated, all at once.
In the world of Registered apprenticeship, educators act as the linchpin both of these respects: they are a critical keystone for programs, and yet are often viewed as a quirky anachronism. Recently, much has been made of work-based learning and its impact on skill attainment and competency progression. Traditional educational models are framed as comparatively passé or ineffective. However, no matter its structure, every career pathway requires some level of classroom-based education. Whether an accredited post-secondary institution or a small, independent bootcamp, educators lay the foundation for apprentices to be successful in their workplaces. By providing Related Technical Instruction, they ensure learners have the basic skills and information of a wide array of occupationally-specific topics. They also instill the theoretical knowledge that enables productive hands-on learning.
What we lose when we overlook educators
Beyond the training they deliver, educators also possess valuable assets and connections that can help drive the expansion of apprenticeship training models. They tend to serve local populations, especially educators training individuals in the building trades, healthcare, or other occupations requiring in-person work or physical proximity to a workplace. Therefore, they have a keen awareness of the needs of the region, its job seekers, and its business community.
The Employer–Educator Disconnect
Unfortunately, however, educators are seldom connected directly to apprentices’ on-the-job training. More often, upon completion of the necessary related technical instruction, the educator will take on a passive role and await an infusion of additional apprentices from a sponsor. In this structure, employers are seen as the terminal destination for apprentices, with educators as simply the conduit towards that employment.
In this paradigm, neither employers nor educators can meaningfully intervene when a mismatch in skills arises - underscoring the need for stronger employer-educator collaboration in apprenticeship. Instead of working directly with educators to design, iterate, and improve training, disconnected employers are simply left unsatisfied with the results of their apprenticeship and may choose a different workforce development option. On the other hand, educators are left to guess what an employer wants, possibly investing time and money into developing training that isn’t aligned with an industry or occupational need.
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Instead of working directly with educators to design, iterate, and improve training, disconnected employers are simply left unsatisfied with the results of their apprenticeship.
Educators as leaders in apprenticeship
Placing educators front and center in co-leadership roles can provide enormous benefit for apprenticeship programs, particularly by improving apprenticeship completion rates. Educators are experts in supporting learners during their training, which is essential for apprenticeship completion & conversion. They provide accommodations, one-on-one mentorship, professional skills training, career coaching, and more. This is particularly relevant for participants from under-resourced populations, including individuals with disabilities and those from low-income households. Provided a more central role in Apprenticeship program development, along with sufficient information and feedback from sponsors and employers, educators can cultivate resources that meet the specific needs of apprentices in any given industry and deliver them directly.
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Placing educators front and center in co-leadership roles can provide enormous benefit for apprenticeship programs, particularly by improving apprenticeship completion rates.
Educators can also leverage their existing resources to jump-start programs in emerging industries. While employers’ workforce needs are constantly evolving, their ability to train and upskill their own staff is often limited by a lack of established infrastructure. Educators, on the other hand, have a bevy of teaching professionals who are subject matter experts to call upon. They also have course materials, student progress monitoring capabilities, and physical spaces such as labs and classrooms that make delivering high-quality training possible. If they collaborate closely with key apprenticeship stakeholders, educators can quickly develop and deliver technical instruction that aligns with industry and employer needs.
Apprenticeship innovation is being led by educators
Fortunately, there are already a number of educational organizations leading apprenticeship innovation examples within the apprenticeship system. Take, for example, Shasta College, a small community college in Northern California. The region is a tapestry of scenic woodland, which has resulted in a strong forestry service and logging industry. In response, Shasta developed a one-of-a-kind program, the California Registered Apprenticeship Forest Training (CRAFT) Apprenticeship. This forestry apprenticeship is a powerful example of localized apprenticeship training models, designed and managed in close coordination with the state’s forestry industry, and includes a pre-apprenticeship pathway for individuals needing additional preparation.
CompTIA, a leading provider of information technology training, also demonstrated the power educators have to improve and expand apprenticeships. Leveraging their best-in-class certification pathways, CompTIA developed their Apprenticeships for Tech initiative to bring together leading employers and workforce development organizations to promote apprenticeship. Services provider SNS Technologies, along with CareerWise Colorado, joined in this effort, uniting to fill high-demand occupations, especially targeting groups that are under-represented in the current tech workforce.
Moving forward: Making Educators Core partners
Clearly, when educators take leadership roles in the apprenticeship ecosystem, they can affect major change. Moving forward, the future of Registered Apprenticeships depends on employers, intermediaries, and other relevant parties to incorporate educators into apprenticeships beyond just the implementation of related technical instruction.
