Apprenticeship programs have a long-proven record of helping train and produce skilled workers for employers and the manufacturing industry has taken full advantage of this model. Apprenticeships have seen extreme growth in recent years and have shown encouraging results as the average annual starting salary for a participant who has completed a program is $72k while also contributing a 92% retention rate for employers who take advantage of these programs. A Manufacturing apprenticeship can span anywhere from one to four years and has seen high full-time employment rates following completion of their program.
“If your organization notices fewer and fewer people looking to become entry-level workers or technicians, then that might be an indicator they don’t even recognize the value of the role they could play in your organization. Apprenticeships amplify this awareness and provide a guided route to success in your manufacturing operation and the industry as a whole. Apprenticeships provide a format in which to go out and recruit more aggressively. They also enable access to niche roles and various skill sets for people that otherwise wouldn't have access. “The other thing with, virtually, every industry, the explosion of technology has required that our workers and technicians learn a lot more skills a lot faster. Upon reaching what is called a “journey-level” or expert level in four years, the apprentice is fully qualified. The apprenticeship training, both in the classroom and on the job, allows manufacturing organizations to really accelerate work-related education.”
Apprenticeship programs continue to gain support due to their combination of both classroom instruction and on-the-job training. Throughout their program, apprentices will receive higher education through a program that doesn’t require a traditional college degree. Resources for companies to start building these kinds of programs are out there as well as the Department of Labor has set aside a significant amount of funds with the purpose of the development and expansion of apprenticeship programs across the country.
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