The apprenticeship renaissance
Apprenticeships are evolving to meet the needs of the future workforce
Modern apprenticeship model’s have overcome the outdated perceptions that limited these programs to entry-level, lower-paying positions in manual labor industries. Today apprenticeships can span diverse sectors including IT, healthcare, engineering and accounting, offering specialized expertise and pathways to leadership roles.
Companies are now expanding the apprenticeship models to address talent shortages and shifting workplace dynamics, according to a report from the Institute for Workplace Skills Innovation America. Companies such as Amazon, BMW, Deloitte and Google are using these models to develop specialized skills and leadership potential in various sectors of their businesses, including mechanics, robotics, IT, engineering and accounting.
University or college education has traditionally been viewed as a primary source to career success, we have always challenged this notion by showing the results that come from students that have passed through an apprenticeship program. This was demonstrated in a report by: Nicholas Wyman, IWSI America president and co-author.
The results are compelling from the study in the US. Apprenticeships have increased by 63% since 2012. Between 2016 and 2023, more than 15,900 new apprenticeship programs were registered across the U.S., bringing more than 1.3 million apprentices into the workforce. That expansion has been supported by federal grants exceeding $500 million since 2016.
During my time in a career and managing our companies, I have encountered both university/college graduates and apprentices. The latter are far more prepared and and ready to assume a role in an organization. They are also earning an income almost from day 1, releasing them from the burden of the student loans programs that holds graduates in bondage for so long. or binding them to companies for years to repay these loans.
This is the reason that we at Freedom Shaper are investing in the apprenticeship programs for the future of a reliable and well trained workforce. Compare the differences between Apprenticeships and Internships
The author himself went through an apprenticeship program in Tele Communications, analogue and digital electronics to land some high power positions during his career in the Information and Technology Industry.