Webinar | Modernizing California’s Apprenticeship System for the Economy of Today and Tomorrow

In today’s rapidly changing economy, it’s hard to predict what job skills workers and employers will need in the future. This uncertainty makes it challenging to adequately prepare our youth for the jobs of tomorrow; it also makes it difficult for employers to find people with the skills they need. 

That challenge is creating problems in California’s growing innovation industry, where employers are struggling with a mismatch between the talent they need and the talent available in the local labor pool.  

In this time of constant change, apprenticeship is proving to be a promising practice. Apprenticeships, which combine paid on-the-job learning and formal classroom instruction, are playing increasingly important roles in fields like health care, IT, and financial services. 

In a state like California, a strong apprenticeship system could result in a more secure economic future for residents and businesses alike. Recognizing that potential, California Governor Gavin Newsom is aiming to increase the number of apprentices in the state by nearly 500 percent in the next 10 years—a move that would bring the total number to 500,000. 

In this webinar, we’ll explore the lessons learned in our report Closing the Gap: The Future of Apprenticeship in California, and a panel of business leaders and policymakers will discuss changes that are needed to advance and modernize apprenticeships in California.  

Panelists:

• John Dunn, Assistant Secretary for Apprenticeship and Worker Training, California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
• Lauren Fernandez, Senior Learning and Development Manager, SAP
• Rebecca Hanson, Executive Director, The Education Fund
• Fran Kennedy, Director, JFF
• Vinz Koller, Senior Strategist, Social Policy Research Associates
• Eric Seleznow, Senior Advisor, JFF