Change This Magazine –

There is a huge shift happening in the United States right now: a return to the time-honored tradition of apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship is the Western World’s oldest form of occupational training, and with good reason. By learning first-hand from an experienced tradesperson, an apprentice acquires mastery of a trade, inside and out. It is a hands-on method that equips participants with exactly the right skills and experience to transition directly into a particular job.
Modern apprenticeships have countless advantages for employers and the economy on the whole, as well as for anyone, at any stage of life, looking to launch a successful, well-paid, and fulfilling career. I began my own career as an apprentice chef, and found it to be an invaluable experience, through which I gained the skills and confidence that have shaped my career path ever since.
There’s a good reason that U.S Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez considers apprenticeship “a successful career pathway, helping workers punch their ticket to the middle class.” Nearly nine out of ten apprentices are employed immediately upon finishing their training, at an average starting salary of around $50,000 a year.
As economically beneficial as apprenticeship is, it has equal benefits on the more personal side of things as well. All over the country, apprenticeships are creating opportunities for bright, motivated people to enjoy the unparalleled satisfaction of hands-on, meaningful work—what Matthew Crawford describes in Shop Class as Soulcraft as “the satisfactions of manifesting oneself concretely in the world through manual competence.”
When you think about apprenticeships, the word may conjure up an image of 17th century craftsman huddled over a wooden workbench wielding chisels. But, in fact, today’s apprenticeship programs are becoming more sophisticated and progressive, and can be found in many modern fields from engineering, sales and marketing, to computer programming and health care. Indeed, many of the knowledge-economy jobs available in the United States today can be effectively learned through apprenticeship. And, this trend is growing. This fall, President Obama made available $100 million in American Apprenticeship Grants as part of a push to grow apprentice- ships throughout the country and scale up successful apprenticeship models. The president is also calling for an additional $2 billion fund to double apprenticeships over the next five years.

In recent years, a program being implemented in the state of South Carolina has become a shining example of how the apprenticeship model is being successfully applied to sophisticated and diverse fields. Apprenticeship Carolina is a division of the South Carolina Technical College System that works with employers, community colleges, and the Department of Labor to design and implement registered apprenticeships throughout the state. With the fastest growing apprenticeship program in the nation, it has grown the number of registered apprentices from less than 100 to over 10,000 in the last seven years.
One of the key ingredients to such rapid growth is the focus on “Apprenticeship Evolved”—the move to apply the apprenticeship model across various industries. While apprenticeship has traditionally been used in the building trades, “It translates well to all sectors,” says Brad Neese, director of Apprenticeship Carolina. In fact, 90% of the apprenticeships in South Carolina are, according to Neese, “in IT, high-end health care jobs, and highly skilled manufacturing jobs that have more to do with programming and technical operations.”
“All over the country, apprenticeships are creating opportunities for bright, motivated people to enjoy the unparalleled satisfaction of hands-on, meaningful work …”
One such evolving field is mechatronics, a high-growth occupation in advanced manufacturing. With the increasing amount of high-tech components in manufacturing today, skilled mechatronics technicians are in demand. A mechatronics technician is responsible for the diagnosis, repair, and installation
of the many systems that keep a plant running. The job requires a diverse set of skills, including elements of programming, automation, wiring, hydraulics, and more. Essentially, every kind of knowledge needed to keep the machines in good working order.
John Harris, a first-year mechatronics apprentice at Cooper Standard, an auto parts manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina is proof of the power of apprenticeships in paving the road to fulfilling and meaningful careers. According to plant manager Warren Snead, John has mechatronics “in his DNA.”
Not long ago, John was working as an electrician in the Air Force, stationed in Afghanistan. After completing his military service, he and his wife moved from New Mexico to South Carolina. For John, an apprenticeship seemed like a good way to transition from military to civilian life.
“I went straight from high school into the Air Force,” says John, “so I didn’t have a lot of work experience outside of that.”
John’s job search led him to apply for the apprenticeship with Cooper Standard, which he quickly landed. He finds the work both challenging and rewarding. “I’m part of a team that’s pretty much responsible for keeping the entire plant running,” says John. “We are the reason that the AC works, that the power keeps running. So, yes, it’s rewarding to know I’m doing something that adds up to a bigger picture.”
For John, the hands-on method of learning is one of the best things about his apprenticeship. “I’ve always been a hands-on kind of guy. My dad had rental houses so he was always getting me to do things and I learned as I went. Even if I made a mistake, he was there to say ‘woah, don’t do that’ and that’s how I learned. This is kind of like that.”
John also benefits from the guidance and experience of not just one, but a whole group of mentors each day. Each of the experienced technicians he trains with has a different specialty or area of expertise. It’s a great way to learn because he gets to absorb different kinds of information from each of them, contributing to his growing body of knowledge and experience. It’s clear that John is a natural leader: well-spoken, enthusiastic, and motivated. His boss, Warren Snead, describes John as “self-actualized—the perfect example of an apprenticeship working right.”
In the Air Force, John learned about working in a team and contributing to something larger, but his apprenticeship is giving him the opportunity to explore both his creative side, and his leadership potential as well. Every day at Cooper Standard brings new, interesting problems to solve. As a group, the technicians have to work together to hammer out the best way to do things, but there’s often an opportunity to come up with a better way, and this keeps John challenged and engaged with his work. A lot of the work is about collaborating, but John also has to “make his own orders,” he says. “I have to take the initiative to figure out what’s best,” John says. But rather than being intimidated by this, John sees it as an opportunity. “You get to make your voice matter,” he says.

“In the Air Force, John learned about working in a team and contributing to something larger, but his apprenticeship is giving him the opportunity to explore both his creative side, and his leadership potential as well.”

John has also noticed that his growing set of skills translates to every area of his life. Not only has he been able to develop his communication and problem-solving abilities, but, he says, “I’m never going to have to call a plumber again.” John loves knowing he can fix anything that might go wrong his own home—from the pipes to the wires to the rafters. “With a maintenance- style apprenticeship,” he says, “you learn all these skills that you can use every day.”
John says he can confidently recommend apprenticeship to others—with one small caveat: “You’ve got to have the work mentality. An apprenticeship is not something you can just fly through.
It’s hard. It takes a lot of hours. You work when the machines go down, even if it’s quitting time. But it’s definitely fulfilling enough to make it worth it.” For John, this apprenticeship is just the first step in a career that he can take in whatever direction he wants. He is optimistic about his future. “If I want to excel in this career, it’s all up to me,” he says. “I can go as far as I want to go.”

 

Article by Nicholas Wyman. Originally published in Change This.

Boston Herald –

Throw the “college for everyone” mindset out the window.

This month high school seniors in New England and the rest of the country will be applying for fall 2015 college admission. Their parents, meanwhile, will be wondering how they will pay the tab — around $60,000 for a four-year stint at a public institution; triple that for most Boston area private schools.

Despite those staggering costs, few students or parents are asking, “Is college a good investment of time and money?” Or, “Are there alternative paths to a solid future?” Few ask those essential questions because this country has been sold on the idea that a four-year degree is the only ticket to a bright future.

Government supports that simplistic idea with student loans for all takers — no matter how qualified they may be for academic work. High school counselors steer academically unprepared students toward college, even though those young people will spend much of their time in noncredit “remedial” courses. And parents believe that a four-year degree is all that stands between their children and a life of low-income, dead-end jobs.

Not that a baccalaureate degree is a bad idea. Ask any newly minted computer science graduate, engineer, microbiologist, physicist or applied mathematician. Their know-how is in high demand and is well rewarded. It’s a much different story for collegians who pursue non-technical degrees. For them, employment in and out of their fields of study is often difficult to find and poorly paid. And they often feel saddled with a sizeable student loan debt.

One reason that a four-year college education doesn’t always pack the earning punch it once had is oversupply. For every 100 newly degreed collegians, the U.S. economy offers only about 57 jobs that require a four-year degree. This means that 43 percent of grads end up with work that does not require four years of post-secondary study. This supply/demand issue is predicted to get worse. According to Labor Department forecasts, only 27 percent of new jobs in the next decade will require a bachelor’s degree.

The people most in demand are — and will remain — “middle-skilled” individuals who have a high school diploma plus an occupational associate degree from a community college, an apprenticeship certificate, or high-quality on-the-job training. This is the alternative pathway that too few parents know about and too few young people take. There is no limit to how high middle-skilled people can climb during their careers. Many go on to earn university degrees, enter management or start small businesses.

People in Massachusetts have many opportunities to build valuable, high-demand skills. In addition to its network of community colleges, it has 26 “career and technical education” high schools at which young people prepare themselves for meaningful and rewarding work. I visited one of them — Minuteman Regional High School in Lexington — a model for hand and mind training. And in the North End of Boston is the North Bennet Street School — America’s oldest trade school — where both young and middle-aged people are learning craft skills that most of the world has lost: violin making, book making, preservation carpentry and piano technology to name just a few.

College is not the only path to a secure and interesting future. America needs and rewards people who can build things, fix things, care for our health, restore Colonial-era furniture, cook fabulous meals and keep the wheels of our economy turning.

 

Nicholas Wyman is an
 employment expert, CEO of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation and author of “Job U: How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need.” Originally published in The Boston Herald.

Huffington Post –

Is college a good investment? Is a college degree likely to set me on the path to my dream career? Are there other, non-collegiate pathways to a solid economic future? Unfortunately, few people ask these questions today; that’s because America has been sold on the false prophet that a four-year college degree is the only ticket to a successful and rewarding career.

Don’t get me wrong; if a high school grad has a real calling to pursue a particular career that does require a college education, then I support that 100 percent. But for many, a traditional four-year stint at college is not the only, and certainly not the best, option. There are three solid reasons why the prevailing ‘college for everyone’ mindset needs careful consideration.
1. Employability: Economics of Supply v Demand
The data clearly shows that a four-year college degree no longer packs the same earnings or employability punch it once did, especially for nontechnical careers. In fact, many college graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to land a job at all. One reason is oversupply. Every year, the United States produces approximately 2.1 million college graduates, yet only 27 percent of jobs in the U.S. labor market currently require an associate’s degree or higher. By comparison, more than 47 percent of workers actually hold an associate degree, while millions of jobs that require no higher level of education and remain vacant, begging to be filled. And, according to the U.S. Labor Department forecasts, this supply and demand imbalance is projected to grow, so that by 2022, only 23 percent of jobs will require a degree.
2. Affordability: The Rising Cost of Tuition
Total U.S. student loan debt has reached a record $1.2 trillion dollars. Student loan debt accounts for 6 percent of America’s overall national debt, second only to mortgage-related debts. Two thirds of students graduate with some level of debt, with the average individual student loan debt doubling over the past decade, to reach $30,000.
Students are graduating with such debt because the cost of education is skyrocketing. Andrew Rossi in his documentary Throwing Rocks at the Ivory Tower suggests that the accumulated college tuition and fees have soared by over 1,000% since the late 1970s. College data shows fees for a public college averaged $22,826 a year and $44,750 for a private college. And that’s not taking into account the costs of housing, books, and other living expenses. So where are these millions of dollars going? Certainly not to educating and equipping students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in the workplace. Instead, towards inflated administrative costs and salaries, recruiting bonuses to “celebrity professors” who spend more time publishing than teaching, fancy dormitories and athletic facilities, and other cosmetic expenses aimed at luring donors and wooing top students. For instance, one university spent its ‘profits’ buying the naming rights to a sporting stadium for over $150 million. Should students be really taking on debt to cover the costs like this?
3. Marketability: What are employers really looking for?
Too many colleges and universities are simply not equipping students with the technical, practical, or soft skills that companies are looking for. Even the top colleges are churning out students lacking the real-world, practical skills to succeed in the workplace – like the ability to communicate and work well with others, solve problems, and stay organized. According to a 2013 study conducted jointly by Chegg, an online resource for students, and Harris Interactive, only 39 percent of managers felt that recent college graduates they’d interviewed were job-ready. Overwhelmingly, they reported that recent grads were lacking in practical skills such as time management, communication, problem-solving and organization.
So if you or one of your loved ones is considering enrolling in a 4-year college, how do you decide if the decision is the right one?
Do the math. Before enrolling in any educational training program, understand what the total costs will be. Look at all the costs, not just the tuition. Consider housing, meals, travel as well as course materials. Then consider what other options are out there that deliver the most ‘bang for your buck’.
Ask yourself: do I have the right learning style to succeed in a college environment? The fact is that every single human being on the planet is unique, and no two people posses the same combination of intelligences, skill sets, and methods of learning. So why should we be expected to follow the same cookie-cutter educational path? For example, some people just don’t thrive in a traditional classroom but are masters when working with their hands. Are you one of them?
Consider whether what is being taught in the classroom is in line with your particular interests. Just as we all possess a huge range of different intelligences and aptitudes, so do we each possesses unique curiosities and ambitions. For some, the dream career may indeed be found in the halls of a law firm or investment bank, but for every one of these people there exists another equally intelligent individual who is just as passionate about building airplanes, or tinkering with robotics, or restoring antique furniture. While some people may aspire to save lives as a doctor or surgeon or cancer researcher, is it any less noble to dream of making a difference in the world as an emergency medical technician, or home healthcare aid, or a social entrepreneur? Figure out where your passions and ambitions lie, and see if they can be satisfied through traditional college.
Consider ‘Jobs with Training’ (JWT). If you haven’t yet decided whether college is for you, why not try getting some real world experience before writing a hefty check or signing the loan papers – after all, would you sign a mortgage for a new house before you’d even decided whether or not to move? Taking up the JWT option provides incredible opportunities for all kinds of hands-on learning experiences while you make your decision. And, as a bonus, you get to earn while you learn. And despite what many would have you believe, a JWT path does not close the door to other academic or professional options. In fact, it can often be a springboard to greater educational and career advancement.
So the question is #toBAorNottoBA ? Ultimately, this is a question that only you can answer. It’s not about following some artificially circumscribed path. It’s about the right education, at the right time, for you.

 

Nicholas Wyman is an
 employment expert, CEO of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation and author of “Job U: How to Find Wealth and Success by Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need.” Originally published in the Huffington Post.

 

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