Implementing Technology-Focused Apprenticeship – Nine common issues and strategies

The goal of this report is to highlight effective employer engagement practices and identify key lessons learned from implementing technology-focused apprenticeship programs. To identify effective practices, JFF interviewed eight individuals who are implementing these types of programs through the American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) to answer four questions:

1. How are tech apprenticeship programs engaging employers?
2. How do these programs identify employer hiring and training needs?
3. What are the primary barriers faced when working with employers to develop apprenticeship programs?
4. How are apprenticeship programs addressing barriers to employer engagement?
This report summarizes the findings from those interviews.

The interviews revealed nine common issues and strategies used by AAI grantees to connect with IT sector employers.These include:

1. IT employers need to be educated about apprenticeships.
2. Tech employers need information in order to dispel some common apprenticeship myths.
3. Conducting industry outreach is crucial to any apprenticeship program.
4. Form partnerships with local technology councils.
   Develop a program that meets the employer’s workforce needs.
5. Flexibility is key to meeting IT employer and participant needs.
6. Offer incentives to bring employers to the table.
7. Use innovative strategies to diversify the tech workforce.
8. Develop a group sponsorship model.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at Effective employer engagement practices: observations from select technology apprenticeship programs