Apprenticeships growing in non-traditional fields

CEDAR RAPIDS - When Mark Wallinga began working for International Automotive Components (IAC) in 2007, he was employed as a finish operator at the Iowa City plant. In 2008, he began a registered apprenticeship program for mold setting or injection molding setup.

'When the recession hit in late 2008, early 2009, I was laid off,” Wallinga said. 'I was recalled to work in late 2009 and spent another year and a half as an apprentice mold setter. I was able to bid for a position as an apprentice electrician in 2010 and was successful.

'I started as an apprentice electrician in October 2010. I completed my apprenticeship in April 2013 and became a journeyman electrician.”

Wallinga, who completed four years of classroom and 8,000 hours of on-the-job training during his electrician apprenticeship, is second-shift maintenance supervisor at IAC. He said the need to pursue a higher level of training became apparent during his layoff from IAC.

'I was actively looking for another job and there was a lot of competition,” Wallinga recalled. 'When I got back into the plant, I began looking at my future and what I could do to prevent that from ever happening again.

'When that electrician apprentice bid came up, I jumped all over it because I knew it was a skill I could take with me for the rest of my life.”

Changing perceptions

When most people hear the term apprenticeship, they typically think of learning a building trade such as carpentry or masonry.

But that perception is starting to change as other sectors such as advanced manufacturing, culinary arts, health care and information technology are embracing apprenticeships to expand the pool of qualified candidates.

Apprenticeships also are viewed as a viable pathway to a good job for younger workers as well as older adults who change occupations.

According to the Georgetown Center on Education and Workforce, 65 percent of jobs in the United States over the next decade will require some level of post-secondary education - and 30 percent of those could be filled by apprenticeships.

Apprenticeship programs combine classroom instruction and full-time employment in a student's chosen field. Apprenticeship programs typically are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

Students must be registered with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training to participate. Programs typically run between three and four years but can last as long as five years, depending on the skills and training required.

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges in Bettendorf, Clinton and Muscatine have a registered culinary arts apprenticeship program. Apprentices work at one of 80 approved apprenticeship sites within a 90-mile radius under the supervision of an executive chef to complete a total of 6,000 hours on the job.

Apprentices also take general education requirement courses and classes in culinary arts at Scott Community College in Bettendorf and other selected locations one day a week and return to their communities for on-the-job training. The apprenticeship can lead to an associate degree in applied science as well as a journeyman card from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Increased IT needs

As computers become more integral to the operation of business, Kirkwood Community College is looking at building apprenticeship programs for information technology, according to Kim Becicka, vice president of continuing education and training services.

'In July, we had over 18 employers and probably about 25 people join us to look at whether apprenticeship programs are attractive to the IT industry,” Becicka said. 'We wanted to create an awareness of what an apprenticeship program is, the steps required to get the program registered, the resources we can provide and the responsibilities of employers.”

The need for IT workers spans all sectors of the economy, according to Ready to Work: Job-Driven Training and American Opportunity, a report issued by the White House last month. Industries experiencing the most rapid growth in IT jobs in fact are outside the IT sector, with the demand for IT workers in retail and health care sectors nearly doubling in 2012.

While there was definite support at the Kirkwood meeting for the use of apprenticeship as a long-term solution to work force needs, Becicka said one Corridor employer felt an IT program should have been launched three or four years ago.

'He said, ‘I have five positions open right now and I don't have time to groom someone over three or four years,'” Becicka said.

'The registered apprenticeship program is a work force pipeline program. Over time, you are grooming and educating individuals to take higher level positions in your business.”

Becicka said the education sector historically has been responsible for training individuals and providing them with the skills needed for employers to hire them.

'There has not been a lot of interest in hiring unskilled workers and paying for their education while they earn a wage,” Becicka said. 'The tide is beginning to turn and I think that's because of the work force challenges that employers are facing right now.”

As the post-World War II baby boom generation moves into retirement, companies increasingly are turning to apprenticeships and on-the-job training to fill critical positions.

Fosters Heating and Air Conditioning in Marion sponsors a registered apprenticeship program for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians. Mark Morgan, vice president and co-owner of Fosters, said the program requires incoming apprentices to make a commitment in return for earning while they learn.

'It's four years of documented, on-the-job training, plus 120 to 160 hours of classroom time each year for four years,” Morgan said. 'You have to be 18 years of age, have either a GED or a high school diploma, and register with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.”

The mean annual salary for an HVAC and refrigeration mechanic and installer was $49,398 in 2012, according to Iowa Workforce Development.

The nation's manufacturing sector also is using apprenticeships to train employees for critical positions, such as maintenance electricians, tool-and-die makers, maintenance mechanics and mold setters.

‘Incredible opportunities'

Iowa has more than 600 registered apprenticeship programs, representing about 8,000 apprentices, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship. More than 80 percent of those apprenticeships are operated by non-unions, such as industry organizations or individual businesses.

Legislation signed by Gov. Terry Branstad in May appropriates $6 million for state work force training programs to help offset worker training costs. Half of that money is dedicated to apprenticeship programs and the other half is set aside for job training and retention programs hosted by community colleges.

The White House report cites many public-private job-driven training programs across the country as examples of what is working in a variety of industries. But Vice President Joe Biden, who was asked by President Barack Obama to lead an across-the-board review of America's job training programs, said more needs to be done to ensure Americans have marketable skills.

'We see incredible opportunities in high-growth industries like advanced manufacturing, information technology and health care,” Biden said. 'Many dynamic companies in these sectors aren't just expanding their work forces. They are creating jobs that pay middle-class wages.

'Many businesses, community colleges and state and local training programs - often funded with federal dollars - have found ways to successfully prepare Americans for these jobs. We must expand on these successful efforts and ensure that our entire system is learning from them.”