This past week, I had an opportunity to speak a the annual conference of Unidos US on the topic of apprenticeships. Though well-established in Europe, Apprenticeships are only just gaining traction in the United States under the Biden Administration. Simply put, they offer employment and on the-job-training for an employee. As a credentialed program, there are formal requirements to an apprenticeship: a documented curriculum with both classroom and field hours, a progressive wage increase upon completion of measured outcomes and a commitment from both the employee and employer to the work.
It is this last part that I find so important. Too often we hear about the need for qualified people to fill the many jobs of an employer/industry. Employers are often frustrated by potential employees who “ghost” them in the hiring process, or job openings that sit open for months on end.
Dare I say, we have been approaching the problem from the wrong point of view. Simply put, people are not interested in a “job”; rather they are looking for a way of life; a career; a relationship. They want an employer who is going to recognize them as a person who is often caring for other people; who brings more than just a set of skills to meet the objectives of a job.
Similarly, employers are looking for people who will be dedicated to their work and contribute positively to the culture and the bottom line.
In short, both the employer and the employee are looking for the right relationship. So we do we continue to make employment so transactional?
The apprenticeship model offers a solution because it recognizes that the employee has both skills and still needs to learn. Apprenticeships are built on a long-term commitment, offering a plan for onboarding, mentorship and overall growth. They give dignity to those who have been doing the work for sometime and to those who are willing to learn how to work better.
Traditionally, people apply apprenticeships to trades and skill-based labor positions, but apprenticeships are critical in any industry that requires a knowledge-base that cannot be learned in a book. In other words, just about any industry benefits from apprenticeship models.
More broadly speaking, what is most needed is a recognition that employment is about a relationship more than a transaction. If we can approach our work from this point of view, then job orders will be filled more quickly and people will be more enthusiastic about their work.