Develop the Workforce Your Business Needs

Employers across California are looking to reduce turnover, find qualified candidates and diversify their workforce. If you’re looking for a higher return on your training investment, an apprenticeship program could be the answer.

Benefits to the Employer

Apprenticeship is a flexible staff-development strategy that creates loyal, well-trained employees. No longer limited to the construction trades, apprenticeships can now be found in many industries, including health care, advanced manufacturing, transportation, government, social services, IT and early child education, just to name a few.

If you’re interested in learning more, contact us with your questions and inquiries at apprenticeship@clpccd.org.

What Is an Apprenticeship?

Rooted in thousands of years of history, the apprenticeship model continues to evolve. At the heart of any apprenticeship is the combination of on-the-job training and classroom instruction: the “Earn and Learn” model.

Benefits for Employers

Apprenticeship is an employer-driven workforce development model that not only helps the business train employees for their specific jobs.

Research by the Urban Institute shows an overall positive return on apprenticeship investment. Benefits include:

Highly skilled employees: Apprentices earn a credential while being trained in company-specific knowledge and skills.
Reduced turnover costs: The legacy source reports that more than 90% of apprentices remain with their employer after training. Progressive wage increases and structured training can increase retention.
Higher productivity: The legacy source reports that fully trained apprentices return $1.47 for every dollar invested and that apprentices often become effective leaders because they understand performance expectations.
A more diverse workforce: An apprenticeship program opens opportunities to a wider talent pool, including people who face educational or other barriers.

Components of an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships consist of five core components, each critical to the program’s success.

Business and employer involvement: Employers are the foundation of an apprenticeship, so their involvement is imperative.
Structured on-the-job training: Each apprentice receives a stated number of hours of on-the-job training supervised by a journey-level or experienced mentor.
Related instruction: Each apprentice receives specific, approved instruction related to the apprenticed occupation.
Rewards for skill gain: Apprentices receive periodic wage increases as they meet predetermined skill sets or time markers.
Occupational credential: By completing a registered apprenticeship program, apprentices earn a transferable credential that can become the cornerstone of their career.

Why Register an Apprenticeship?

The State of California encourages employers to register their apprenticeship with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS). Reasons include:

Technical support: Each registered program has an assigned DAS consultant who helps build the program and assists with operations and reporting.
No-cost training: Apprenticeship classroom training provided by a California community college is offered at no cost to the apprentice or employer. Apprentices can often earn college credit and a certificate of achievement.
Quality standards: Registration ensures the program has met state standards for on-the-job training and instruction.
Access to funding: Businesses can more readily access federal and state funding and other resources that support registered apprenticeship programs.

How Apprenticeships Are Structured

Apprentices in construction trades and many other industries earn a DAS journey-level certification upon completion. Models include:

Traditional model: An apprentice works full time and goes to school part time, often at night or during time set aside for classes. The apprentice earns a wage increase at each increment. Program length depends on the industry, occupation, and business need.
Front-loaded model: An apprentice is paid to attend classroom instruction full time during the first period. In the second period, on-the-job training and a wage increase are added as classroom instruction diminishes. In the final phase, the apprentice receives another wage increase and works full time with supervision.
Segmented model: An apprentice begins with unpaid classroom instruction. After the first stage, paid on-the-job training is added. The remainder combines classroom instruction and on-the-job training, with incremental wage increases throughout the program.

Apprenticeship vs. Internship

Apprenticeship offers an alternative, flexible form of talent development for new and existing employees. It provides structure in training while investing in the workforce, leaving the business with a trained, educated, and loyal employee.

Time: Apprenticeship offers long-term, concentrated training over one to six years, depending on program requirements. Internships are short-term training programs.
Skill level: After completion, an apprentice is an experienced, certified employee, while an intern remains at the entry level of the occupation.
Wage increases: Apprentices receive incremental wage increases during the program; interns do not necessarily receive this progression.
Structure: Apprenticeships use controlled training and instruction to develop the variety of skills needed for the job. Internships provide a less structured introduction to a job and company.
Credential: Apprentices earn a journey-level certificate and often a college certificate of achievement; interns do not.
Employee loyalty: Apprentices are often loyal to the companies that train them, reducing turnover and recruitment costs. Interns may return to the employer or use their experience to pursue another job.

Partners in a Registered Apprenticeship

A registered apprenticeship in California is a partnership among several entities, each with a crucial role.

Program sponsor: The company or association that creates and oversees the apprenticeship program. It recruits apprentices, tracks progress, reports to DAS, and convenes oversight committee meetings. Sponsors may be trade unions, business associations, nonprofit organizations, employer networks, individual employers, community colleges, or trade schools.
Employer: Businesses are the foundation of this employer-driven training program. They provide on-the-job training and wages.
Division of Apprenticeship Standards: This state agency ensures that apprenticeship on-the-job training and instruction meet high standards. DAS consultants help establish and maintain programs.
Local Educational Agency: A registered California apprenticeship requires a Local Educational Agency (LEA) to oversee instructional quality. Chabot-Las Positas Community College District (CLPCCD) also offers college credit and pathways to certificates and an associate degree.

For Employers