21st Century Apprenticeship Blog

Where Do You Stand?

John Gaal, EdD — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:07:00 EST

Where Do You Stand?

Education and jobs are on the minds of nearly everyone throughout the country. Accordingly, there is no doubt that Congress has its hands full. Nonetheless, once health care has been dealt with, feelings are that things will move quickly on two very important issues near and dear to Registered Apprenticeship: ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act—revamping NCLB) and WIA (Workforce Investment Act). As post-secondary career and technical educators, Registered Apprenticeship programs are directly impacted by both of these laws.

Having just attended ACTE’s National Policy Seminar in Washington, DC (see link below), I can attest to the fact that Assistant Secretary of Labor, Jane Oates, assured the audience (made-up mostly of secondary CTE educators and some workforce development professionals from across the country) that Registered Apprenticeship is alive and well…standing ready to provide an “earn while you learn” experience for their graduates. However, we cannot and will not be effective in delivering on the Assistant Secretary’s promise if we do not support the feeder systems into our Registered Apprenticeship programs. Now is the time to take a stand by becoming active in an organization that further promotes linking secondary career and technical education graduates to our post-secondary Registered Apprenticeship programs (www.acteonline.org).

Building Green Skills in California

Thao Nelson — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:51:00 EST

Check out this video sent in by Patricia Garcia- California Unions are building cleaner and smarter using Green Technology by investing in the future. Thanks Patty for sharing!

Green Jobs Training for Veterans

Thao Nelson — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:52:00 EST

Thanks to millions of dollars in grants, many veterans will have a chance to compete in the growing renewable energy industry. See more DoD videos at http://dodvclips.mil

2010 Chicago Heartland Conference: Strategies for climbing the career ladder.

Ray Garcia — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:05:00 EST

WORKSHOP

Stairway to Success

Strategies for climbing the career ladder: North Central Kansas Technical College, USDOL and the Management & Training Corporation will discuss pathways and strategies that can provide a “Stairway to Success”.

This workshop will explain the strategy of using Registered Apprenticeship, Job Corps, and other ETA funded activities in conjunction with college credit instruction. This approach gives the worker a more advanced training experience with options to continue on the career ladder. North Central Kansas Technical College (NCKTC) will explain its on-line instructional delivery method for its Health Support Specialist Registered Apprenticeship Program. Job Corps will discuss pathways to accredited college programs.

Is there anything specific you’d like the presenters to address?

Do you have any experience with this topic?

Ask questions, share your ideas and best practices, post your comments and help build an interactive learning community!

2010 Chicago Heartland Conference: Meeting America’s Need for a Quality Direct Care Workforce.

Ray Garcia — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:43:00 EST

WORKSHOP

The Healthcare Workforce for the Boomer Crisis

Meeting America’s Need for a Quality Direct Care Workforce. The NW Michigan Council of Governments Healthcare RSA and the Public Health Institute will speak about innovative approaches and initiatives to attract and sustain a high quality healthcare workforce.

This dynamic session will be an overview of the apprenticeship initiative in Iowa including ideas on promotion, job placement, labor market analysis, information dissemination, advance of apprenticeships to targeted demographic groups (youth, public assistance recipients, Veterans, dislocated workers, etc.), partner agencies such as Job Corps, Vocational Rehabilitation and community colleges, and Iowans in transition, and an update on the joint Iowa Workforce Development/Office of Apprenticeship website. We will showcase best practices, as well as ideas that were good in theory, but not in practice.

2010 Chicago Heartland Conference: How the “Green Construction Corps” program is Creating Career Development Opportunities.

Ray Garcia — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:46:00 EST

WORKSHOP

Green Construction Corps
- Creating Development Opportunities

How the “Green Construction Corps” program is Creating Career Development Opportunities. The Carpenters District Council of Greater St. Louis, the Urban League of Greater St. Louis and the Habitat for Humanity will share their knowledge of this exciting new program.

This workshop will provide information on the Green Construction Corps (GCC) program that was successfully launched in 2009 in St. Louis with funding from the ARRA's Summer Youth Employment Program. GCC is sponsored by St. Louis Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Program in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, St. Louis and the Summer Youth Program of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis with funding provided by the St. Louis County Workforce Investment Board. The GCC provides a comprehensive educational and job experience program serving both in-school and out-of-school youth aged 18 to 24.Through this effort St. Louis county youth and young adults are provided skilled pre-apprenticeship and on-the-job training and supervised and paid job experience, with a particular focus on Green Construction Principles and Practices. This effort targets an at-risk in-school and out-of-school youth who meet basic math and reading comprehension standards and are interested in pursuing paid work experience in construction.

The GCC offers participating youth two-weeks of professional construction training (class/shop training) at the Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center followed by a minimum of six weeks of on-the-job (OJT) training and employment with Habitat for Humanity, St. Louis; Missouri's largest Green Builder. In addition, participants are assessed using the WorkKeys assessments leading to a MoCRC certification, receive OSHA certified job safety training, exposure to green building practices both in the shop and on-the-job, and, based on successful completion of the program, up to three (3) college credits from Mineral Area College which they may apply to future post-secondary education.

2010 Chicago Heartland Conference: “Earn, Learn, Succeed" - three words that can change your life!

Ray Garcia — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:57:00 EST

WORKSHOP

Iowa Apprenticeship Initiative - Earn, Learn, Succeed!

“Earn, Learn, Succeed"- three words that can change your life! Experts representing the Iowa Office of Workforce Development and the Region 5 Office of Apprenticeship will share their secrets on how Apprenticeship and the Workforce System are working together to help get people back to work…

This dynamic session will be an overview of the apprenticeship initiative in Iowa including ideas on promotion, job placement, labor market analysis, information dissemination, advance of apprenticeships to targeted demographic groups (youth, public assistance recipients, Veterans, dislocated workers, etc.), partner agencies such as Job Corps, Vocational Rehabilitation and community colleges, and Iowans in transition, and an update on the joint Iowa Workforce Development/Office of Apprenticeship website. We will showcase best practices, as well as ideas that were good in theory, but not in practice.

All of Iowa’s products, services and practices can be adapted for other states, and we are willing to provide templates and step by step instructions to help other states implement a similar product.

Announcing the 2010 Heartland Conference - take part in the discussion!

Ray Garcia — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:10:00 EST

Recovering the Region 5 economy

Don't miss the opportunity to connect with Heartland 2010 presenters and participants!
We will be posting many of our upcoming Conference sessions. Share your ideas and best practices, post your comments and help build an interactive learning community.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA) Region 5, in conjunction with the Great Lakes Employment and Training Association (GLETA), is hosting the Heartland Conference to be held April 7-9, 2010 in Chicago, IL at the downtown Hyatt Regency Hotel.

What is the Heartland Conference?

The Heartland Conference is a comprehensive technical assistance and training event to support reemployment and economic growth in the Midwest through the exchange of innovative ideas and practices; the display of cutting-edge tools and technology; and the sharing and analysis of the latest information from the Administration. Sessions, guest speakers, and activities have been developed to assist the workforce system in improving customer services and improving program performance. Today’s economy presents the workforce and economic development world with challenges it has not faced in decades. This event will present a wide array of strategies to assist with meeting and overcoming today’s challenges. It will provide a forum for partnering and networking with leaders from all facets of workforce and economic development.

Current List of Apprenticeship related Workshop Titles
click on the titles below for more information. Feel free to ask questions specific to the workshop.

Green Construction Corps-Creating Career Development Opportunities
How the “Green Construction Corps” program is Creating Career Development Opportunities. The Carpenters District Council of Greater St. Louis, the Urban League of Greater St. Louis and the Habitat for Humanity will share their knowledge of this exciting new program.
Training the Healthcare Workforce for the Boomer Crisis
Meeting America’s Need for a Quality Direct Care Workforce. The NW Michigan Council of Governments Healthcare RSA and the Public Health Institute will speak about innovative approaches and initiatives to attract and sustain a high quality healthcare workforce.
Stairway to Success
Strategies for climbing the career ladder: North Central Kansas Technical College, USDOL and the Management & Training Corporation will discuss pathways and strategies that can provide a “Stairway
to Success”.
Earn, Learn, Succeed: The Iowa Apprenticeship Initiative
“Earn, Learn, Succeed- three words that can change your life! Experts representing the Iowa Office of Workforce Development and the Region 5 Office of Apprenticeship will share their secrets on how Apprenticeship and the Workforce System are working together to help get people back to work…

Will you be attending the 2010 Heartland Conference?
Do you have a question for a presenter?
Are there topics you would like to be addressed?
We welcome all questions!

STAY TUNED, TAKE PART IN THE DISCUSSION & REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE TODAY!

President Obama Visits Maryland-based IBEW / NECA Training Facility

John Ladd — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST

On Tuesday, Feb. 16, President Obama visited and toured the NECA / IBEW Local 26 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee facility, located in Lanham MD., and spoke about the importance of skilled labor in helping the U.S. transition to cleaner energy sources. Joined by Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, the President remarked how sites like the one in Lanham highlight the potential of the clean energy sector in helping the U.S. become less dependent on foreign oil. The JATC facility is a joint-run effort of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), training electrical and telecommunication workers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

“This is an extraordinarily impressive facility, where workers are instructed on everything from the installation of sophisticated energy hardware and software to the basics of current and resistance. We need to look no further than the workers and apprentices who are standing behind me to see the future that's possible when it comes to clean energy,” said Obama. “It's a future in which skilled laborers are helping us lead in burgeoning industries. It's a future in which renewable electricity is fueling plug-in hybrid cars and energy-efficient homes and businesses. It's a future in which we're exporting homegrown energy technology instead of importing foreign oil. And it's a future in which our economy is powered not by what we borrow and spend but what we invent and what we build.”

The President also talked about the large federal investment his administration had made in clean energy, one that he said is expected to create over 700,000 jobs nationally. Registered Apprenticeship has already been identified as a key component in support of that investment in several areas (i.e. recently announced Energy Training Partnerships grants will provide nearly $100 million to design and distribute training approaches that lead to portable industry credentials and employment, including career opportunities in Registered Apprenticeship programs) and we are excited to join our Labor and Employer partners to train our country’s next generation of workers, prepared to lead the U.S. efforts to grow the clean energy sector.

I encourage you to read the full transcript of the President’s remarks and to go back and read about the role Registered Apprenticeship is expected to play in carrying out the goals of the Energy Training Partnerships grants Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced a few weeks ago.

John V. Ladd
Administrator
National Office of Apprenticeship

Jennifer Sullivan shares her experience with Registered Apprenticeship

Thao Nelson — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:58:00 EST

Jennifer Sullivan Registered Apprenticeship Program Commercial from Think Apprenticeship on Vimeo.

New Briefing Papers on Registered Apprenticeship and Healthcare

Laura Ginsburg — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:08:00 EST

The Office of Apprenticeship has released two new briefing papers on Registered Apprenticeship and healthcare that make the case for using the model in this growing industry. Registered Apprenticeship helps address some of the critical issues in healthcare including recruitment and retention, cost-effective training, wage increases and improved patient care. Both papers describe some of the successful models that exist as well as discuss opportunities and challenges.

Using Registered Apprenticeship to Build and Fill Healthcare Career Paths, discusses how Registered Apprenticeship can be a critical part of building the healthcare workforce by increasing skill levels without huge cost increases. The model offers the structure and rigor that helps professionalize entry-level healthcare occupations and prepares individuals for the challenge of higher level health careers. Apprenticeship is already used extensively in healthcare without being called “apprenticeship.” Nurses do clinical rotations and doctors serve residencies before they complete their degrees and nearly all healthcare occupations require a demonstration of competency before a certificate or credential is awarded.

Using Registered Apprenticeship to Build and Fill Career Paths in Health Information Technology focuses on the earn and learn aspects of the model, showing that workers’ skill levels increase simultaneously while they study their profession, so they become more productive at a faster rate than if they were only taking classes. The traditional health information technology model focuses only on classroom education.

Apprenticeship in California

John Griffin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:08:00 EST

Submitted for comments by John Griffin

Apprenticeship in California

Currently California has 232 Federally registered apprenticeship programs. The State also sponsors apprenticeship through the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards and the California Apprenticeship Council. While the DAS and CAC are not recognized by the Federal Office of Apprenticeship there is still a good working relationship between the agencies.

There are 48,328 Federal apprentices which is a decrease from previous highs of over 50,000 apprentices. California apprenticeship has seen a decrease that has mirrored the high unemployment rates.

The Federal programs are comprised of Federal prisons, health care, construction, barbering, cosmetology, manufacturing, energy, automotive, state and local agencies.

Although California has experienced a down turn in apprenticeship activity there has been a strong interest to establish and register new apprenticeship programs in construction, renewable energy industries, and health care.

The Office of Apprenticeship staff consists of State Director Rick Davis who also manages the Northern California programs and ATR Arthur Page who oversees the Southern California programs.

California held an Action Clinic on June 18, 2009 that was attended by approximately 200 people representing local workforce investment areas, Workforce Investment Act partners, registered apprenticeship programs, and local businesses which was a statewide repeat of the Regional Action Clinic held earlier in the year in San Francisco. Two additional clinics were held with the focus of educating the partners of the performance measures and inter workings of each agency in order to foster a better understanding of how the agencies can better collaborate in apprenticeship measures.

California apprenticeship has strong ties with the Community College system. Most program sponsors utilize the Community Colleges for related instruction. The California Community College system supplies representatives to assist apprenticeship programs in the development of related instruction.

While California has seen a very high level of assistance through ARRA funding the apprenticeship community has not seen a significant increase in activity. There is currently an active movement involving the City of Sacramento and several partners including Workforce, education, the public, and industry, in an effort to develop a new apprenticeship program specifically to address the green construction industry and to train new employees through registered apprenticeship for the industry.

Rick Davis
State Director USDOL/ETA/OA
2800 Cottage Way
Room W-1836
Sacramento, California 95825
Phone: 916-978-4618
E-Mail: davis.richard@dol.gov

Arthur Page
Apprenticeship Training Representative USDOL/ETA/OA
5675 Ruffin Road
Suite 310
San Diego, CA 92123-1362
958-467-7031
Fax: 602/771/1205
E-Mail: page.arthur@dol.gov

Respectfully Submitted by

Rick Davis, OA State Director

Waking up in Jonesboro

Tori Huggins — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:31:00 EST

Hey everybody,

I apologize for my lack of writing the last few months. I have been quite busy but I'm sure all of you have been too. For October, November, and part of December I had been working at the Post Cereal Plant in Jonesboro, AR for W. Soule. We were working twelve and a half hour days, seven days a week. After work I had enough time to eat, shower and then go to bed. Although the days were long and tiring, I made a lot of money and gained a lot of work experience. There was so much welding to be done each day that I capitalized on making myself a better and more proficient welder. The work that I do is very demanding and at times exhausting, but I know that If I want to be a great welder then I have to appreciate the opportunity to have so much work. Every time I burn another rod I understand more about the welding machine, the electrode(the rod) and my capabilities to handle it all. I have always heard practice makes perfect. While working at Post, I got the opportunity to weld on materials that I was not familiar with. I think I was ready to scream and pull my hair out after an hour of welding unfamiliar metals. I knew I couldn't let it get the best of me and after a day of figuring the metal, the heat and speed I needed to make a secure weld, I conquered it. Which by the way is very rewarding and my supervisor rewarded me also, with more welding. I would have continued to work there past December but my dad was hospitalized with major heart problems. There is no job out there that is more important then family to me. For the time that I was there, I took the knowledge that I have learned in my apprenticeship classes, applied it to the job and vice versa. I also got to eat a lot of cereal which I have to admit was the best part. Who doesn't like Post cereal?

Disaster Response: The Time to Step-up is Past Due

John Gaal, EdD — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:06:00 EST

Disaster Response: The Time to Step-up is Past Due

If you live on the mid- to upper- East Coast, you probably have had enough snow for awhile. Nonetheless, another front is about to hit and cripple a number major cities in the US again. How we as a people deal with these weather-related occurrences must become food for thought as Registered Apprenticeship programs make their push to implement the updated standards into their curricula.

Several years ago, I had the pleasure of chairing a Labor-Management Advisory Committee for the International Code Council. In fact, Tony Swoope (former National Director of the US-DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship) attended and participated in a number of our meetings. One of the last topics we discussed, prior to the disbanding of this committee, was disaster relief. What is it that we as a construction community can do to play a significant part by helping others in need (i.e., Katrina, Haiti, etc.)?

Most, if not all, construction-related apprenticeship programs teach an array of courses (i.e., OSHA10, FA/CPR, Rigging, etc.) that play a vital role in disaster relief and/or recovery. Many of our contractors have yards with idle equipment. Several of our tradespeople are currently wanting for work. It is a shame that we have the capacity to assist others but lack the desire or willingness to follow through…As the wealthiest nation in the world, we owe it to others to step-up and take the lead!

Workforce Training Apprenticeship and Professional Technical Programs

Thao Nelson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:10:00 EST

Idaho State University has a long history in offering certified U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Programs throughout Southeastern Idaho. These Registered Apprenticeship Programs connect job seekers with good paying jobs.

Kansas Teens Save Local Movie Theatre

Thao Nelson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:47:00 EST

Bonnie Duden, Apprenticeship Program Consultant, sent this video to the Kansas Registered Apprenticeship staff and knew that our community would enjoy it too, especially with the newest Webinar Invitation: Youth Entrepreneurship as a Tool in the Workforce Development Kit.

Grab a bag of buttery popcorn, an ice cold soda and some hot tamales and enjoy the show.

Apprenticeship Carolina

Thao Nelson — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:36:00 EST

South Carolina employers discuss the benefits of registered apprenticeship.

FY11 Budget

John Ladd — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 09:04:00 EST

2011 DOL Budget Roll-Out

Please visit http://www.dol.gov/budget/ on Monday, February 1 at 12:30 p.m. EST for the release of the 2011 DOL Budget information, including detailed budget documentation, videos from the Secretary and other DOL leaders, and live chats. DOL will also host a live Q&A session with our leadership to answer your questions about our 2011 budget:

Monday’s Web chat will begin at 1:00 p.m. EST:
- Secretary Solis: 1 p.m. EST
- Workforce Investment: 2 p.m. EST
- Worker Protections: 2:30 p.m. EST

Choose one of these four easy ways to participate in the Web chat:

Enter your question directly into the live chat window found at the link above
Use the hashtag #DOLBUDGET on Twitter
Call our National Contact Center at 1-866-487-2365
E-mail us at webmaster@dol.gov

Back by Popular Demand: Heather Stefan's An Open Letter to Building & Construction Contractors

Thao Nelson — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 09:17:00 EST

YOU spoke...WE listened!

We've received many comments on Heather Stefan's Blog titled: An Open Letter to Building & Construction Contractors as well as many requests for a copy of the white paper. So here it is...back by popular demand- Registered Apprenticeship: An Economic Strategy for Business in America.

Counting Apprenticeship by Ron Leonard

Thao Nelson — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 11:04:00 EST

Editor's Note: A blog from Ron Leonard on the history and importance of Registered Apprenticeships.

"Not too long ago as I digitally wandered through images of the U.S. Census of 1860 for the City of Philadelphia, I wondered whether I was looking in the right neighborhood as I sought to learn more about my paternal grandfather’s grandfather.   My search took me to an enumeration of the ship’s company of a sloop-of-war, the USS Pawnee, which was stationed at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, then located on a site where today a Coast Guard Station, a stretch of Interstate I-95, and a shopping plaza now exist.   If the person aboard the Pawnee indeed was a part of my heritage it would belie the belief that I was the first in my family to serve in the Navy.   But, the most remarkable thing about this search however occurred as I began to saunter about, in a manner of speaking, through the pages of the census records for the remainder of the ward.

Figuratively, I was strolling through streets, some of which no longer exist, looking at the inhabitants through the eyes of Isaiah St. Butler, the census worker who enumerated this district in July of 1860.   He took what we would call a snap-shot of the inhabitants.   This glimpse into the lives and livelihoods of the residents of Philadelphia’s Second Ward has much to tell us about the individuals, families, city, and country both then and now.   For, along with the tabulation of mundanely matter-of-fact information, there can be seen facets of life that paint a picture that can both illuminate our understanding of both the past as well as contribute to how we confront the future.    One of the facets that readily jumped out at me was the frequency of those who were listed as apprentices in the column where the “Profession, Occupation, and Trade of each person, male and female, over 15 years of age” were listed.

As with any large urban area of its day, one would expect to see diverse occupations that not only supported the local livelihood of the various inhabitants but those that contributed to a broader regional or national market as well.   Tin Smith, Carpenter, Piano Maker and Machinist were among such occupations listed in this neighborhood.   And those of the apprentices reflected both traditional skills of the day and what for that day were among the leading edge technologies that propelled America headlong through the Industrial Revolution.   On a sampling of just a few census pages reflecting this small section of Philadelphia were Apprentices to an Umbrella Maker, an Oak Cooper, as well as a Molder, and a Printer.   Also listed is an Apprentice to a Cordwainer, not a readily recognizable occupation in our 21st Century global marketplace.   However, in the days long before lattes & laptops when a commute was often measured in how long it took you to walk to work at a local shop or factory, cordwainers were skilled craftsmen who today would be known as shoemakers.    Given the number of cordwainers listed on just these few pages would lead me to believe that this neighborhood also included a shoe factory nearby.

Hindsight analysis of these few pages can fuel a wealth of foresight for anyone who may be pondering their own personal career direction or one who posits pedagogical practices in workforce training that have proven consistently effective.    Apprenticeship served more than to train individuals who are reflected in these census records, but served also to provide skills training that were instrumental in maintaining and sustaining the economic vitality of southeastern Pennsylvania for generations to come.   Because, beyond its immediate benefits, resulting in individual employment and skills attainment, it provided a host of intangible benefits that shaped families and successive generations by either re-enforcing or even instilling a tradition that is dependent upon a healthy work ethic and respect for the importance of career training & education.    Half of the apprentices appearing on these sample pages were from among immigrant families who might not have had the ability to avail of such opportunities had they not come to America.    Whether native-born or not, for each of those who underwent an apprenticeship, apprenticeship may well have served as a springboard to success that contributed to the success of subsequent generations in some way.    This I can see in an example of my own paternal grandmother’s father. In 1880 he was an Apprentice Machinist, at age 15, to his father.   Although he did not go on to become a Machinist, he did go on to a career as a Carpenter.   And subsequently, his own son spent more than four decades as a tradesman as well.

Time and technologies have advanced in the past century and a half, and so have apprenticeships, specifically, Registered Apprenticeships.    Registered Apprenticeship includes what is best about traditional apprenticeships and incorporates a related-instruction component that provides essential theory to enhance learning.   Whether a traditional occupation, long recognized throughout history, or a newer 21st Century occupation in industries as diverse as biotechnology, information technology, aerospace, geospatial, energy, transportation, and more, Registered Apprenticeships offer benefits to employers and apprentices that are immediate & long-term, both tangible and intangible.   Employers, Educators, and Workforce Development Professionals may well consider the impalpable benefits of a Registered Apprenticeship as a valuable plus when looking to develop solutions that significantly impact individuals, companies and communities."