Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
Ivy Tech Community College was awarded a grant of nearly $5 million from the US Department of Labor in June 2022. The Apprenticeship Building America grant will fund apprenticeship programs around the state for the next four to five years. Project navigators covering four regions are working with employers interested in offering apprenticeships.
Brandi Hughes is the project navigator for the Central region at Ivy Tech Community College, which includes the campuses in Bloomington, Indianapolis, Terre Haute and Columbus.
“Our grant assists employers with workforce-based needs and we cover various areas of
employment,” says Brandi Hughes. “We can help them with pre-apprenticeships,
apprenticeships or extended apprenticeships if they already have a program in place.”
Apprenticeship programs combine classroom instruction with on-the-job training under the
supervision of a mentor, all while being paid.
Skilled trades have offered apprenticeship programs for years to raise the skill level of those learning to work in fields such as construction, electrical and plumbing.
Hughes says, “More employers are realizing apprenticeships can benefit not only the
employees but the company as well. Apprenticeship programs are growing in all workforce
areas such as skilled trades, healthcare, and information technology.”
According to the DOL, apprenticeships in the US have increased by 64% since 2012. More than 396,000 people have completed apprenticeships over the past five years. Over 1,000
occupations including information technology, advanced manufacturing, transportation, as well as the building trades, offer apprenticeships.
Benefits of apprenticeships
Apprenticeships offer benefits for the worker and employer. They can decrease turnover
because employees are well trained, therefore confident in their abilities, and understand the expectations of the job. Employees who complete apprenticeships are more likely to advance in their career.
“With an apprenticeship, employees are receiving the necessary training and the opportunity to take on new roles, and in turn, creating a workforce pipeline for the company,” says Hughes.
For employers who deal with high turnover, an aging workforce or have employees who need help adapting to industry changes, an apprenticeship is a solution. Benefits to the employer include higher productivity, lower turnover, reduced training costs and increased worker safety.
Project navigators are working with local Chambers of Commerce and other workforce partners to promote the apprenticeship opportunity to employers.
“We are working with as many employers as we can until the funding runs out,” says Hughes.
An example of an apprenticeship program that would qualify could be an employer who plans to automate production and employees will need new skills to use the equipment. Another example is an employer who continually struggles to fill vacancies because applicants lack training/skills.
“If a company contacts us and says, ‘This is the area we are lacking in, help us figure out how to expand the experience within our workforce’ we can help with that,” says Hughes.
Employers apply and once approved, an employer consultant from Ivy Tech works with the
employer to create an apprenticeship program course.
Depending on the job, an employee might complete on-the-job training and receive a
certification, or enroll in college courses, or both.
As an added bonus, an employee completing college courses would earn credits they could use to complete an associate’s degree.
Learn more
To learn more about apprenticeship opportunities through Ivy Tech, send an email to Project Navigator Brandi Hughes: [email protected].