#23 – Inside Our Industry – Apprenticeships Continue to Prove Successful in Addressing Skills Gap
Posted on | Inside Our Industry
Over the past several weeks we have shared articles about the value of vocational education in high schools and the value of community colleges in preparing students for a career in manufacturing. Another tool is the focus of this week’s Inside Our Industry: Apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships Continue to Prove Successful in Addressing Skills Gap
Adrienne Selko | NOV 10, 2020 | IndustryWeek
National Apprenticeship Week celebrates the ‘earn-and-learn’ model.
As the U.S. Department of Labor announced the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2020, companies and educational institutes across the country are showcasing the “earn-and-learn” opportunities.
“Apprentices have a crucial role to play in our ongoing economic recovery, and National Apprenticeship Week is a way for us to show the nation what they bring to the table,” said Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training John Pallasch in a statement.
“Over and over again, they reinvigorate our workplaces with their vision and their commitment to their futures, and business leaders, educators, state and local governments, and others across the nation are taking this week to recognize that achievement,” Pallash added.
In February of this year, the Department of Labor increased funding to the apprenticeship effort by awarding $100 million in grants to 28 public-private apprenticeship programs throughout the country through the “Apprenticeship: Closing the Skills Gap” program.
“Companies across the country tell me their greatest challenge today is finding the skilled workers they need,” Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia said when announcing the program. He also said that apprenticeship was a viable alternative to a traditional bachelor’s degree for Americans seeking “good-paying careers.”
A study released in October demonstrates apprentices have the potential to earn salaries far exceeding their peers who only attended community colleges.