The Great Resignation shows no sign of decline. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a record 4.5 million Americans will quit their jobs by the end of 2021 and nearly every employment sector is facing labor shortages.
Despite this, millions of people across the U.S. have the desire and capacity to work in roles that are difficult to fill, if only recruiters could find them. The unemployed and underemployed want to work and have — or can develop — many of the skills that current employers are looking for. Unfortunately, recruiters often overtake a growing group of job candidates, called America’s “hidden workers”. These are job candidates with family care responsibilities, job gaps, disadvantaged backgrounds, minimum job qualifications and health challenges.
But empowering hidden workers with high -demand skills can help companies bridge their skill gaps. Research shows that organizations that recruit and empower hidden workers are 36% less likely to grapple with talent shortages.
Related: 3 ways to acquire hidden talent and strengthen your bottom line
Apprenticeship programs that train hidden workers in high -demand skills are a proven talent solution that can reduce the skills gap for organizations large and small. Combining online tutoring with on-the-job training, employers who sponsor apprentices are hiring skilled workers, reducing talent transfer and improving productivity. Apprenticeships tend to expand workforce diversity, giving underserved groups greater access to jobs in the innovation-economy. Diversity of thought and background is a huge advantage for any organization.
Workers benefit by receiving a skills -based education that prepares them for well -paying jobs. Apprentices also end up with a sense of membership as a member of a training community. Importantly, there is no educational, age, economic, or social skills required for people to qualify for apprenticeships.
For these reasons, apprenticeships are expanding in the U.S. The number of apprentices registered with the Department of Labor has exceeded 636,000, a 64% increase from the past decade. There is also an increase in unregistered apprenticeships by consortiums and individual employers for both blue and white-collar jobs.
However, investing in and successfully launching an apprenticeship program is a formidable increase for any company. These best practices can make one’s implementation more successful:
Partner up. Many organizations lack the internal expertise or resources to attract non-traditional talent, such as dislocated workers, caregivers returning to work, veterans and community college graduates. Developing meaningful partnerships with groups already connected to undercover workers pays dividends in overcoming this barrier. Ecosystem partners, which include labor organizations, industry associations, educational institutions, and state and local agencies, can identify the resources needed to design apprenticeship programs that address these needs of employers through stable collaboration. Then, adapted recruitment strategies can be developed and implemented to attract hidden talent within the local communities served by these partner organizations.
Ecosystem partners are also important in delivering wrap-around services for apprenticeship participants — providing everything from transportation to childcare to Wi-Fi access — to ensure apprentices are set up. for success.
Embrace ‘earn and learn.’ It is often impractical for candidates interested in an apprenticeship to forgo income over a long period of time. Here again, a community partner ecosystem approach can be critical by not only training participants but also ensuring that they are profitable as they learn.
See also Why HR shouldn’t fear the Great Resignation
Perhaps consider offering two distinct paid apprenticeship tracks. Apprentice-in-training (AIT) programs can give participants a check as they receive on-the-job training in high-demand skills. For example, in the tech sector, these skills include Salesforce, Python and ServiceNow. The goal is for AIT graduates to be able to work easily. Most become skilled enough to obtain certification, such as Salesforce or ServiceNow admin certifications, which are highly marketable. By the end of AITs, we found about 95 percent of people completing the program were ready for work.
The AIT program also serves as a pathway to a one-year, salary apprenticeship program. Apprentices are empowered with immersive on-the-job training, as well as professional learning and development, with the opportunity for full-time employment where they can thrive on the career model of a company, without barriers to their non -traditional background.
Measure program progress. To support the successful launch and continuous improvement of any apprenticeship program, implement and share expectations of what development looks like for both program participants and the program itself. For individual apprentices, define and implement clear metrics for success; then systematically monitor and assess their performance using performance evaluations. Regularly deliver feedback to participants on both hard and soft skills, as your company does for its employees. Also, be sure to assess classroom effectiveness versus on-the-job training for apprentices and calibrate as needed. Don’t be afraid to adjust if something doesn’t work.
Companies can measure the success of their apprenticeship programs by calculating the costs of developing and supporting the program versus the benefits the program provides by evaluating the apprenticeship program against other alternatives for hiring. and developing a good workforce. Additionally, placing formal and informal surveys so that you receive honest and constructive feedback from all program stakeholders will provide a specific analysis of the program’s strengths and weaknesses.
Related Apprenticeships: A new solution to old challenges
Apprenticeships have come a long way since the U.S. apprentice system began 75 years ago. Thoroughly designed apprenticeship programs can help your organization — and the communities in which you do business — alleviate employment challenges. In a broader way, they are an integral part of building a competitive, future -ready U.S. workforce and a more inclusive economy of change.