Youth Apprenticeships - Will it Work for my Business?

Finding qualified talent is increasingly expensive, competitive, and time-consuming. Currently, the burden of educating our workforce falls directly on the education system. Meanwhile businesses are having difficulty finding employees with the appropriate competencies to fill these skilled positions. Youth apprenticeships tackle the problem head on by helping businesses play a part in shaping young talent and providing the education system with an applied learning environment for students. Youth apprenticeships offer robust workbased learning opportunities in modern day careers like Advanced Manufacturing to Machining; and take an innovative approach to talent acquisition that ultimately leave businesses with a positive ROI and workforce fit to tackle the modern-day world.

Manufacturing apprenticeships don’t divert students from higher education, rather it’s an in-depth education option that combines theoretical learning with hands on learning focused on preparing young students for a viable career in manufacturing. It can be a direct path to high-paying, in-demand jobs, or the first stackable step in their education journey. Any student, regardless of their end goal, can benefit from an apprenticeship.

As we develop youth apprenticeships, we must look to the Swiss apprenticeship system for guidance. In Switzerland there are over 200 approved apprenticeships and over 40% of companies participate in the program. 70% of Swiss students choose to start their higher education with an apprenticeship. Many of the world’s largest companies are run by CEOs that started out as an apprentice.

The value add for business can be defined by the following:

• Reduce turnover costs and increase your retention rate

• Recruit and develop a highly trained workforce for hard-to-fill positions

• Create industry-driven and flexible training solutions to meet your specific needs

• Positive ROI based on the value of apprentices’ productivity

Youth apprenticeships are industry-driven where organizations can develop their own pipeline. In the current labor market, the talent pool is simply too small. In this hot labor market, where the number of jobs exceed the number of skilled workers, there’s a high probability that other organizations are trying to poach your employees. Not just your stars. Everyone. If employers create pipelines and paths, this can lead to higher retention and a strong company culture.