Apprenticeship Programs Reach an Inflection Point
March 16, 2020
At a Glance
In this op-ed, Eric Seleznow provides an overview of why apprenticeship in America is at an inflection point and explains the role of businesses in continuing the momentum.
When Techtonic, a Boulder, Colorado-based software development company, needed new talent, it turned to a very old solution: apprenticeship.
For the past seven years, it has pioneered a training model that addresses the seemingly bottomless talent needs of the technology industry.
Facing a wave of skilled workers’ retirements, Georgia Power launched an apprenticeship program for lineworkers that paired novices with experienced workers. It lowered hiring costs by more than 50 percent and increased new hire retention by 18 percent.
As market conditions and workforce needs converge, American employers and policymakers have developed a newfound interest and enthusiasm with the apprenticeship model. But how long will it last? And what can employers and policy makers do to keep this interest going?