Leveraging Apprenticeships to Enhance Your Team

Guest post by Michigan Works! Southeast

Why Consider Apprenticeships?

Companies are facing numerous challenges – an aging workforce, difficulties in hiring and retaining talent, and the need for sustainable solutions to ensure continued growth. One powerful strategy to address these challenges is the utilization of apprenticeships. Here’s a guide on how companies can effectively implement apprenticeship programs to make their talent more effective and efficient.

Apprenticeships are not just for traditional trades. They offer significant benefits across various industries, including IT, healthcare, education, and advanced manufacturing. Here are key triggers and reasons to start an apprenticeship program:

Struggling to Find and Retain Skilled Talent: If your company is facing difficulties in hiring and retaining specialized talent, apprenticeships can help build a loyal and skilled workforce from within.
Aging Workforce: Many industries, especially skilled trades, are experiencing a significant portion of their workforce nearing retirement. Apprenticeships provide a pipeline to train the next generation of workers.
In-Demand/Future-Demand Industries: Sectors like tech, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare cannot afford the long wait for workforce development through traditional education pathways. Apprenticeships offer a faster, hands-on approach to skill acquisition.
Internal Expertise: If your organization has experienced staff who can serve as mentors, apprenticeships can leverage their knowledge to train new employees efficiently.

Benefits of Registered Apprenticeship

Diversity/ Equity/ Inclusion/Accessibility: Many employers enjoy registered apprenticeship because they get to provide opportunities to those who may not otherwise have access to roles within their company. Registered apprenticeships allow employers to forego the educational requirements and focus on culture and soft-skills matches that are proven to be more effective determinants of success and retention.
Recruitment/ Retention: Creating your own internal pipeline of skilled candidates means that you save invaluable time, energy, and money on recruitment. Since Registered apprenticeships have a 90% retention rate, you’re also saving money on turnover/ open seats while also fostering a workforce with the EXACT SKILLS you seek through customizable training and instruction.
Workplace Culture: Apprenticeship fosters a culture that values continued education and training, and creates a culture of investment and caring between the employer and employee. Employees know their work is valued and can see a clear pathway for advancement within the company.
Productivity/Profitability: All of the reasons above ultimately will come back to the bottom line. You will have a workforce of highly skilled, diverse employees who are invested in a career (not just a job) with your company. Long-term your company is more profitable and your workforce is more productive.

Steps to Start an Apprenticeship Program

Identify the Need: Determine which roles in your organization would benefit from an apprenticeship program. Almost any position can be apprentice-able with the right approach.
Understand the Basics: Familiarize yourself with the core components of apprenticeships, their return on investment (ROI), and the benefits they offer to both apprentices and employers.
Develop Your Program: Attend workshops like “Apprenticeship 201” to build out the necessary documentation, such as Appendix A, connect with Related Technical Instruction (RTI) providers, and start the registration process.
Register and Launch: Use resources such as the Michigan Works! Southeast (MWSE) to help develop, register, and maintain your apprenticeship programs. They can assist with securing funding to subsidize training costs and simplify the complexities of registration with the Department of Labor (DOL).
Maintain and Grow: Once your apprenticeship is registered, learn about timely reporting, audits, and other necessary maintenance activities to ensure the program’s success.

Resources Available

Michigan Works! Southeast (MWSE): As an approved intermediary with the DOL, MWSE’s own Amber Keyes can help develop, register, and maintain apprenticeship programs, reducing the burden and overwhelm, and ensuring the timely registration and success of your apprenticeship.
Funding Opportunities: In addition to MWSE’s regular training grants, there are several specialty grants specifically designed to alleviate the financial constraints that may prevent you from starting and running your apprenticeship program. MWSE’s Business Services Coordinators (BSCs) can help secure funding to cover training costs, making apprenticeships a cost-effective solution.
United States Department of Labor: www.apprenticeship.gov

Ann Arbor SPARK

All posts by Ann Arbor SPARK