Apprenticeships: Age-Old Job Training for the 21st Century
You probably read about “apprenticeships” in your history books. But these centuries-old, formalized job training programs are rapidly gaining popularity in North Carolina. You “earn while you learn” as an apprentice—acquiring valuable vocational skills on the job. During the previous fiscal year, according to the Raleigh News & Observer (July 31, 2005), 21,000 official apprenticeships were available in the state, up from 8,000 just five years before. About 1,800 companies— including Progress Energy, AW North Carolina, Bosch, and others—currently offer certified apprentice programs.
APPRENTICESHIP: Training in an art, trade, or craft under a legal agreement that defines the duration and conditions of the relationship between master and apprentice.
JOURNEYMAN: A skilled worker who is qualified by experience and training to undertake the tasks necessary for employment.
Apprenticeships give employers the opportunity to train you the way they want you to be trained and to see how you do on the job. Afterward, companies are likely to hire the people they’ve trained—workers who have not only learned the skills but demonstrated a good work ethic and dependability. For the apprentice, these programs provide an income while learning.
Apprenticeships are available not only in the manufacturing sector but also in service, retail, and government trades. Opportunities in your state are most likely to occur in industries that want more trained employees. In North Carolina, these include:
- Agricultural and natural resources
- Biological and chemical technologies
- Business technologies
- Commercial and artistic production
- Construction
- Engineering
- Health sciences
- Industrial technologies
- Public service technologies
- Transport systems technologies
Information Sources About NC Apprenticeships
NC Department of Labor
Melissa Medlin is the NC Department of Labor staffer responsible for listing and certifying apprenticeships in North Carolina. She reports that the Department is “constantly certifying new businesses for apprenticeship programs.” Begin by reviewing these listings on-line, because the lists are continually being updated. The best approach is to contact the Department for current information about programs in your area: Melissa Medlin, North Carolina Department of Labor, P.O. Box 17147, Raleigh, NC 27619. Phone: 919-562-4946; Mobile: 919-8108175; Fax: 919-562-4954; Email: melissa.medlin@nclabor.com; website: www.nclabor.com/appren/
Explore Local Companies
You also can call a company you may be interested in working for to ask if it has a certified apprenticeship program. (Caution: Just as with any contractual relationship, make sure you read the fine print in the apprenticeship agreement and know what you're committing to and what you'll receive.)
High School Partnerships
Many high schools have partnerships with companies that offer apprenticeships. Your school guidance counselor can help you find out if there are such programs at your high school.
Newspaper Articles
The Raleigh News & Observer ran a very good article on apprenticeships on 7/31/2005. If you subscribe to the N&O, you can view these articles on apprenticeships in the archives. Go to www.newsobserver.com.
Apprenticeship 2000
This “earn while you learn” program of apprenticeships in technical careers is sponsored by a group of North Carolina manufacturing companies: Julius Blum, Inc., Stanley; Sarstedt, Inc., Newton; Ameritech, Inc., Mooresville; Max Daetwyler Corp., Huntersville; and The Timken Co., Lincolnton. Students receive a paid college education while working as paid employees. Apprentices are offered full-time employment at a competitive salary after successfully completing the program, and many choose to further their education after receiving their Associate Degree from this program. Apprenticeship 2000 is a four-year program—designed mainly for high school students—established to fill a shortage of high-tech positions as machinists, electronics technicians, machine technicians, and tool and die makers. Students work in a progressive wage schedule and every six months are eligible for a pay increase as well as a bonus, based on performance.
For more information, check: www.cpcc.edu/mech/app2000.html or the participating companies at www.blum.com, www.sarstedt.com, amdiemold.com, www.timken.com, or www.daetwyler.com/jobs/apprent.htm. For more general information on building career pathways call 919-807-3304 or see www.dpi.state.nc.us/workforce_development/publications/
Taking a Year Off
You just may not be quite ready to decide what’s next. Many teens who see no immediate interesting prospects after high school feel scared and pressured. Maybe you can’t go to college for one reason or another, or you just don’t feel like being in school again.
So what are you to do? You don’t have much money, your parents are pressuring you to make a decision, and those recruiters and camouflaged hummers at the fairs and in the school parking lots are looking increasingly cool.
Sometimes, it works to take a year off to work, travel, do something really “weird,” make some money for college, or just breathe deeply before launching into the next thing.
Many kinds of programs have sprung up for teens just out of high school to help them make the best use of this “time off.” Some of these “gap year” programs are pricey and out of reach, especially if you’re struggling financially already. But many other options are quite attainable.
Look at the offerings below, and page through the rest of this guide to get ideas about how to spend a little time learning something different and having a little adventure.
Remember!
You have choices, you can take some time, and you don’t have to feel pressured to leap into something you’re not sure about.
The Circus?
Joe, approaching the end of his high school years in Durham, decided to join the circus—that’s right—the circus! He had learned how to juggle in school. What started as a “weird” thing to do for a while after high school became a six-year stint working in a family circus and traveling all over the country. Joe learned skills he never knew about and had time to think about his values, interests, and goals. He decided he wanted to be an artist and had saved enough money, so he applied to a design school where he is currently studying.
Working during your “year off,” even if it’s in something less colourful than a circus, can give you an opportunity to raise some cash, as well as give you time to think about what you really want to do with your life. And the skills you learn and experiences you have can be useful later on. If you’re thinking that a year off may be next for you, check out some of the gap-year websites to get more ideas.
Gap Year Information Sources
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Founded in 2002, wwwTeens4Hire.org is a website dedicated to linking teens with prospective employers. Students may take a career assessment test, read about labor laws and work permits, and search for jobs.
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AmeriCorps, at www.AmeriCorps.org has wonderful opportunities. See article in Section 3 on AmeriCorps* Habitat and AmeriCorps*NCCC or website.
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Job Corps at jobcorps.doleta.gov. See article on Job Corps in Section 4.
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The Dynamy Internship Year Program (at www.dynamy.org) offers internships and independent living in Dynamy apartments along with an Outward Bound program, one-on-one advising, and optional college credit seminars for 17 to 22 year-olds. Dynamy, Inc. is a not-for-profit experiential educational organization, the oldest residential internship program in the country. Its mission, as stated on its website, is to “offer young people, ages 17-22, a ‘gap year’ opportunity like no other…. Dynamy programs integrate independent city apartment living with mentored internships, personal and college/career advising, urban and wilderness leadership opportunities, and the company of an incredible group of peers.” Locations: Boston and Santa Barbara, CA. [It is pricey. It costs $15,000 a year, plus $6,000 for room and board.]
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Consider combining a job with a commute to the Legacy Center Teen Leadership Program in Morrisville, NC. (see www.thelegacycenter.com). This program “provides insights and tools for teenagers to enhance their self-esteem, improve their ability to communicate clearly, and think critically about their problems in the context of the larger picture of life.” The program teaches “emotional intelligence” during an intensive training weekend, a follow-up program with a series of coaching sessions with trained mentors, and a two-day completion retreat.
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The Center for INTERIM Programs, at www.interimprograms.com, asks the question: “If you could wave a magic wand, what would you do?” The program has offices in Cambridge, MA and Princeton, NJ. See their website for some very interesting alternatives.
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Public Allies (at www.publicallies.org) selects individuals aged 18-30 for a 10-month program of leadership training, team service, and paid, professional internships in community non-profit organizations. Allies receive a monthly stipend of about $1,500, health insurance, child care, interest-free student loan deferment, and a post-service education award of $4,725. Go to their website or call 919-687-0005.
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The Council on Standards for International Educational Travel is a nonprofit organization that serves as a monitoring body and clearinghouse for information about international youth exchange programs through its, publications, activities, and website, (go to its website at www.csiet.org and link to the 2006-2007 Advisory List of International Educational Travel and Exchange Programs.)
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Carolina Friends School in Durham lists an extensive array of gap-year opportunities, as well as specialized camps or partial year programs on its advising website: www.Tcfsnc.org/units/US/counseling/main.htm
Books to Check Out:
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The Gap-Year Guidebook, 2005/2006, by Susannah Hecht (published by John Catt Educational).
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Before You Go: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Gap Year, by Tom Griffiths, foreword by Michael Palin (published by Aspect Guides).
Websites to Visit:
