Businesses are increasingly looking for innovative solutions to grow tech talent and many are finding professional apprenticeships an attractive way to nurture and grow talent.

So, what are the benefits of apprenticeship for business?

To answer this question, it’s important to understand that apprenticeship starts with a job and is driven by the employer making a commitment to training the apprentice.

• Paid Work — Apprentices are employees who are paid wages and benefits, allowing them to earn and learn.
• Work-Based Learning — Apprenticeship is a work-based learning model with structured on-the-job training (OJT) provided by a company-assigned mentor.
• Classroom Learning — Also known as “related instruction,” this is the theory and technical skills related to and required to be proficient on the job.
• Mentorship — Apprenticeship develops leadership skills in both the mentor and apprentice. Experienced mentors train to the greatest depth and breadth of knowledge and skills needed for the job/scope of work.
• Credentials — Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, the apprentice receives a certificate of completion of the apprenticeship in that specific job role. This certificate/credential is portable and recognized by industry as attainment of the skills and knowledge necessary for success in that job role.

So, while there are upfront investments in hiring and training, the bottom line is that your business is benefitting by:

• Getting work done — Open roles don’t get work done. Hiring people moves the needle in the right direction, and with training, those hires become increasingly effective.
• Lowering the cost of hiring — Employers that invest in professional apprenticeship see a 20-25% reduction in cost compared to traditional staffing.
• Growing your team — If senior staff are spread thin, delegation of work is key to scaling.
• Diversifying team skills — Onboarding people grows everyone, not just the apprentice. 
• Retention benefits alone offer:
  • Cost reduction
  • Morale improvement
  • Experienced employees
  • Recruitment and training efficiency
  • Increased productivity
  • Better customer experience
  • Improved corporate culture
  • Better employee experience

Growing talent on the job via apprenticeship not only means more say in who is hired into higher-level roles, but it also enables companies to ensure training is directly tied to new or emerging tech roles, processes, and tools instrumental to future growth and delivered at the speed of business.

Meet the Authors

Evelyn Van Til (Author) is a culture architect active in designing and delivering innovation in hiring tech talent. She currently serves as the National Apprentice Experience Program Manager at Apprenti where she delivers onboarding programs connecting people into software development, cybersecurity, network, DevOps, cloud, data, tech support, analyst or sales via apprenticeships at local businesses. Based in Columbus, Ohio, she has previously served at The Ohio State University, The Ohio Department of Education, Tech Talent South, along with a variety of other roles in tech education and workforce development.  

Apprenti is bridging the tech talent and diversity gaps, igniting a new paradigm in apprenticeship to develop untapped talent and strengthen the tech ecosystem nationwide.

Emily Fabiano (Contributor) is the founder of Workmorphis, a cross-sector workforce consultancy helping organizations build a more resilient workforce to thrive in a changing economy. Fabiano has deep experience in workforce transformation at the government level, working at the cross section of workforce strategy, economic development, and public policy. With a keen understanding of the unique challenges facing today’s and tomorrow’s workforce and the ability to communicate across sectors, Fabiano brings a new level of understanding and collaboration required to address the necessary changes to better connect industry and education to prepare people for jobs.

Workmorphis provides a full suite of strategic workforce solutions to industry, education, and government in the Midwest and across the country.