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New Developments in U.S. Apprenticeships: Federal, State and International Perspectives

APPAM National Research Conference – November 2018 ,Washington D.C.

Round table with Dr Robert Lerman, Urban Institute, employer Mr Matthew McKenney from Hypertherm, Nicholas Wyman, CEO IWSI America and special guest Mr Derrick Ramsey, Secretary of Labor, Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The 2016 election heightened an ongoing debate about how best to deal with stagnant wages and weak job options for American workers without at least a bachelor’s degree. One increasingly prominent and bipartisan option for dealing with the problem is to scale up the U.S. apprenticeship system. Policymakers are coming to recognize that expanding apprenticeship is a cost-effective strategy for raising productivity and wages, improving the transition from school to careers, upgrading skills, widening access to rewarding careers, and achieving positive returns for employers and workers. The panel will hear about how the Commonwealth of Kentucky is leading the nation with many apprenticeship program firsts. The introduction of the intermediary model through to creating apprenticeship programs in new and emerging industries.

President Trump called for expanding apprenticeship at a White House ceremony last year. His first steps toward achieving this goal were signing an executive order titled “Expanding Apprenticeship in America,” doubling the funding for apprenticeships to $200 million, and establishing a task force on apprenticeship. Meanwhile, demonstrations sponsored by the Obama administration are well under way and a bipartisan group in Congress has sponsored apprenticeship expansion legislation. Nonetheless, the United States is far behind Australia, Canada, and England in scaling apprenticeships. The apprenticeship share of the workforce of these countries is about 9-10 times the apprenticeship share of the U.S. workforce.

U.S. official (or registered) apprenticeships have long been dominated by the construction trades and have operated in a highly complex world. Recently, renewed efforts have emerged to extend apprenticeship to a wide range of other occupations, to simplify the registered apprenticeship system, and to create “industry-recognized” apprenticeships. In addition, many states are developing their own initiatives to shift skill development policies toward apprenticeship.

This round table of top state officials, apprenticeship practitioners, and national and international experts will assess the new developments in the U.S. aimed at scaling apprenticeship. They will discuss initiatives taking place at the state and local levels, barriers and opportunities for apprenticeship expansion they are experiencing, lessons from other countries and from U.S. states that have led to apprenticeship expansion, and federal and state policies that can strengthen the role of apprenticeship in the U.S. while maintaining high quality. The conversation will also examine and discuss the findings and recommendations of the President’s Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion that were published in the summer of 2018.

“World Class Training: Australian Group Provides Training to Kentucky Registered Apprenticeship Team and Businesses” – Frankfort, KY

October 26, 2018—Frankfort, KY.

Australia’s WPC Group is providing ongoing training to the Kentucky Registered Apprenticeship team and members of the Commonwealth’s business community. The WPC Group was established in 1982 for the purposes of advancing an apprenticeship training model. Since their establishment, they have placed nearly 15,000 apprentices in stable careers throughout Australia. WPC Group is part of the IWSI Group.

The Kentucky Registered Apprenticeship Program team members are working to establish Employer Partner Networks throughout the Commonwealth in order to expand apprenticeship availability to better meet the contemporary needs of businesses. Also known internationally as Group Training Organizations (GTOs) and intermediaries, the Employer Partner Networks work with businesses to thoroughly assess workforce needs and develop a labor force of apprentices to meet current skills gaps. The Employer Partner Network members provide comprehensive services to apprentices as well, such as career assessment and placement, locating appropriate Required Training Instruction, providing intensive mentoring, and offering wrap-around service providers to further support the needs of the apprentices.

The Kentucky Registered Apprenticeship team has established four Employer Partner Network members this year, including the Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation, Organic Grassroots, Corp., Independent Insurance Agents of Kentucky, and C-TECH, Inc. Organic Grassroots, Corp. and the Independent Insurance Agents of Kentucky joined the training class held October 25 & 26, along with Edwards Rigging, who desired to learn more about the Registered Apprenticeship Program in general.

The CEO of IWSI, Nicholas Wyman, was on hand to provide the training along with veteran apprenticeship manager, Janine McPhee. Wyman has spent the last twenty years consulting, writing, and speaking about the apprentice careers. He is the author of Job U: Find Your Path to a Successful Career in a Tough Job Market. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes magazine. McPhee is an experienced trainer with more than ten years of experience in managing large-scale apprenticeship placements for companies such as Mercedes Benz, Nissan, Esso and Exxon Mobil in Australia.

The Kentucky Registered Apprenticeship team members are Diana Jarboe, Tracy Osborne Clay, Brenda Demic and Stephen Tressler. The Program is housed under Secretary Derrick K. Ramsey at the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, Department of Workforce Investment, and is directed by Dr. Deborah Williamson. Dr Robert Lerman at Washington D.C. Urban Institute is providing technical expertise and support to the Apprenticeship and workforce programs.

The training was funded in part with the State Apprenticeship Expansion Continuation Grant awarded to Kentucky from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Publication for State Journal, Shelbyville Sentinel, Bullitt, Anderson and Pike County Papers and National Newsletters & Maher and Maher Publications.

‘Hiring Is On The Rise, But Are College Grads Prepared For The World Of Work?’ – Forbes, Online

By Nicholas Wyman, Forbes

McGraw-Hill Education’s (MHE) survey on readying college graduates for the workforce is hot off the press. With the school year just around the corner, a new crop of graduates gearing up for their job search after summer break and a robust economy, this survey is timely. In fact, for the class of 2018, 44% of employers will increase hiring of new college graduates.

Essential career readiness skills are not what you think.

MHE reports that only four in 10 college students feel very or extremely prepared for their future careers. Even though this figure is better this year than last, it is still low.

Whereby over half of college graduates surveyed believed they were well prepared for the workplace in “essential career readiness skills” like professionalism and work ethic (77%), critical thinking and problem solving (63%), and oral and written communication (61%), employers’ perception of career readiness was lower, namely (43%) for professionalism, (56%) for critical thinking and (42%) for communication. That’s divided thinking. Technical skills don’t seem to be a big issue for either students or employers. Interpersonal skills are. Only in teamwork and collaboration did college grads (73%) and employers (77%) see eye-to-eye.

Student throwing graduation hats in the air — It’s time for the newly minted crop of graduates to gear up for their job search after summer break. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

It is important to note, says Susan Gouijnstook, VP of Learning Solutions Strategy at McGraw-Hill, that a gender disparity around confidence in workplace skills showed up again this year in McGraw-Hill’s Future Workforce Survey. In fact, 50% of men compared to 36% of women feel like they are “career ready.”

Where does the ball drop in providing college grads (and all young adults for that matter) with essential career readiness skills?

Whether it’s early college high schools, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, or four-year colleges everybody is stepping up to the plate. All are embarking on endeavors to facilitate the pathway from school to work. MHE’s findings have important implications across the board for America’s nascent workforce.

Assessing problem-solving abilities replaces standardized testing.

And four-year colleges are gearing up to provide their graduates with career-ready skills. MHE, explained Ms. Gouijnstook, is using survey results to inform product development and help college instructors zero in on essential career readiness skills – to “unlock the potential of each learner” – by leveraging learning science to create tools that support application of learning and authentic assessments. If you don’t know the term, authentic assessment, it’s one you should become familiar with. “Through our products, we seek to help students improve critical thinking skills, learn to communicate more effectively and perform real-world tasks through meaningful application of fundamental knowledge,” said Ms. Gouijnstook. The classroom becomes a laboratory for applied knowledge. MHE is a significant player in bringing these kinds of skills to schools and making students work ready.

Practice makes perfect.

Finally, in addressing MHE’s findings on college grad’s confidence levels, Nick Corcodilos (CEO, Ask The Headhunter) observes, “By being exposed to the workplace early, whether by internship, apprenticeship, volunteer opportunities or authentic assessment, young adults develop a clear sense of expectations and increased confidence. Experience speaks volumes.” Along these lines, just over half of all students surveyed by MHE believed professional experience and internships would better prepare them for the workforce. Adding fuel to this fire, in the MHE survey, nontraditional students (those who did not enter college within a year of high school) were more likely to feel prepared for the workforce than traditional students, 49% to 34%. A pretty big difference.

By Nicholas Wyman, Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholaswyman/2018/08/03/hiring-is-on-the-rise-but-are-college-grads-prepared-for-the-world-of-work/#735ecb0e4e7e

‘Don’t Be So Quick To Dismiss Service Jobs’ – Forbes, Online

Where are the jobs?

Today, most are in the service sector. And that’s the forecast for tomorrow, too. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, service jobs will continue to outpace employment in all other sectors for the next quarter century.

Let’s put some figures around that. Three service industries that will see an incredible 7.5 million new jobs by 2026 in the U.S. are healthcare and social assistance, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality. In fact, the bureau says more than 90% of the 11.5 million expected new jobs to be created by 2026 will be in service-providing industries.

A waiter lays a table in the main dining hall on board the Royal Caribbean cruise ship. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Does Service Industry Equal Bad Jobs?

Ugh, service jobs? Don’t most service jobs offer low pay, casual shifts and next-to-no opportunity? No, actually. The fact is, many service sector jobs pay very well and are practically immune to automation or offshoring.

How much did you pay your plumber to install that new toilet and sink? What is the likelihood that a robotic electrician will come to your home to replace your 1950s wiring? Ask the same about the nurse practitioner you visited recently (instead of an MD), or the horticulturalists who designed and installed the plan for your new garden, or the chef who cooked up an amazing restaurant meal for you and your friends. All service jobs. All in demand. All well paid.

In short, the service sector is about supplying intangibles rather than goods. The sector is one of two major sectors in the U.S. economy. Reference for Business offers these sub-categories where the service jobs reside:

Transportation, communication and utilities
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Finance, insurance and real estate
Public administration
Other services.

When you drill down further, the service sector is something you’d come into contact with throughout your life. Teachers, nurses, housekeepers, tour guides, lawyers, mechanics, tax agents, hairdressers, hoteliers, zoo keepers and gardeners are just some of the few trades and professions offering “services.”

Dead End? Just The Beginning!

Even so-called “dead end” service jobs have value. I prefer to call them “stepping stone” jobs to something better. Low-end service positions give unskilled young people a point of entry where they can develop workplace skills, a network, and eventually move up to something more challenging and rewarding.

The Service Sector Served Me

I’m speaking from experience. My stint as a chef served me well. After several engaging years of striving to perfect the art of cookery, I felt satisfied with my accomplishments and was ready for more. If working in kitchens taught me anything, it was that being a successful chef involved more than cooking. I also needed to learn about team work, marketing, customer relations, people management, and running a business. So I went back to school, eventually completing a master of business administration.

At first, I feared the years spent out of school would put me at a disadvantage to my conventionally educated peers. Instead, I found that the self-confidence and operational problem-solving abilities I’d developed through my culinary apprenticeship and work experience gave me unique perspectives and a point of difference in the classroom.

My stint as a chef wasn’t a “dead end” for me. I wasn’t settling for a mundane job. It was a great teacher, preparing me for bigger and better things. And it certainly didn’t close the door to academic learning and other possibilities.

So, don’t be so quick to dismiss the service sector. It offers more than you’ve probably been told, and it beats pulling the covers over your head and letting opportunity and life march by without you.

By Nicholas Wyman, Forbes Contributor.

Leave a comment or join the conversation with me on Twitter. My Book, Job U How To Find Wealth and Success By Developing the Skills Companies Actually Need can be found here

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholaswyman/2018/07/18/dont-be-so-quick-to-dismiss-service-jobs/#1f33623c41bb

‘How To Boost Your Online Job Profile With Terms Employers Want’ – Forbes, Online

You’re invisible unless your social profile or resume includes the term for which employers are searching.
Image: Shutterstock

Software engineer, buyer planner, editor, developer and graphic artist are the categories employers are increasingly searching for, according to recent research from the world’s largest job site, Indeed. You probably didn’t think these three – buyer planners, editors or graphic artists – were in high demand, part of the skills gaps that employers are scratching to fill perhaps? Buyer planners, by the way, source, select and procure products and services for their companies.

But, wait up, you can’t take high-ranking searches for job titles at face value.

Top searches and the ‘skills gap’ – not the same thing

Keep in mind that Indeed’s search terms are exclusive to job titles and skills – that’s all they’re looking for. The list does not characterize job market growth; rather it represents changes in search terms employers used when culling Indeed’s database (of 100-million-plus resumes worldwide) for candidates over the past two years.

Digging deeper into what search terms mean

I tried all sorts of ways to make a connection between these terms. First, I thought they might show something about the gig economy. Each can be done remotely, offers a flexible schedule and fits many of the characteristics that define the booming independent workforce. I ditched this assumption when I reviewed Indeed’s job profiles for all five terms. They were overwhelmingly full-time postings. Then I tried to tie a tech bow around them. This only made sense in certain cases. In fact, as a result of our effort to fit all of these terms into tech, I learned something about regional employment.

Make your focus more local

For starters, locality is key. When I asked some recruiters, job coaches, and employers from across the country, each person had their own definition of the job titles and skills. Sure, software engineer and developer had universal meanings.

However, for the other roles, the employers weren’t on the same page. In high tech regions, an editor does lots of technical writing; in other regions, an editor focuses on literary or news pieces. Similarly, graphic artists in one locality do mostly advertising and media; while, in others, graphic artists work on web and application design. Depending on one’s area of expertise and location, different conclusions can be drawn from this list. As Daniel Culbertson, an economist at Indeed says: “All labor markets are local.”

A fluid job market

Ranked lists aren’t gospel; even data-driven ones. In 2010, these jobs were supposed to have the biggest growth in the decade to 2020: office and administrative support, health care practitioners, sales, construction, and education, according to the Department of Labor.

But, the revised list, issued in 2016, looked totally different for the projected jobs growth to 2026. It pointed home health aides, personal care aides, software developers, medical assistants and market research analyst/ marketing specialists. It shows an extreme swing in employment growth in health services and STEM. Expect more fluidity, but keep your eye on how artificial intelligence (AI) will impact how we work.

Should skill-up be your mantra?

You’d be forgiven for getting confused about which skills to add to your arsenal as a job candidate. So does it make good sense to chase a forever-evolving list of skills? Certain trends are solid. But many are fleeting. It’s hard to resist toeing the printed line. However, job seekers should know that no single list or database draws a complete picture of the job market. A compilation of data from Indeed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census and others is a way more accurate indicator of employment trends.

Matt Youngquist, CEO of Career Horizons, says: “While I salute the effort to try, I’ve found it extremely hard to draw meaningful conclusions from these kinds of trend studies over the years, simply due to the sheer number of variables involved and all the different contexts in which the search terms in question could appear.”

What the hot search terms really mean

Back to Indeed’s list of the fastest growing search terms by employers. It may only indicate turnover or a unique spike in a certain field, says Culbertson. You’d be better off looking at a broad range of data to work out the best way to craft text for your social profile or resume. Youngquist says: “One of the reasons so many job hunters get missed in searches these days, including for jobs they’re highly qualified to hold, is they’re so close to their daily work routine that they take a ton of search words and competencies for granted. “While you’d think most resume scanning systems are smart enough to read between the lines, they’re not. You either have these words on your materials or you don’t – and if the latter, there’s a good chance you’ll have a pretty low success rate with your materials despite your years of experience.”

Use these insights to get hired

Keywords are, literally, the key to being found in a search. Recruiters and employers use these terms to find what they want in an applicant tracking system or search engine. Even if you have the experience they want, you’re invisible unless your social profile or resume includes for which employers are searching. ‘Word clouds’ will give you an insight. Try Wordle and WordCloud, a couple of the many free word cloud generators. They visually display how frequently a word appears in a text such as resumes, job descriptions and profiles on Indeed, LinkedIn, and other job boards, for example.

Soft skills don’t rank, but should

Across the board, veteran practitioners and senior managers prioritize interpersonal skills. Hence, although characteristics such as flexibility, creative problem solving, collaboration, time management, agility and critical thinking aren’t often searched for, these terms (and substantive examples) should be on your radar. Weave them into your cover letter, resume and mention them in interviews. These skills are essential to success in the 21st-century workplace.

Why you should beware of lists

Finally, in case you are wondering, Indeed research also showed the fastest-growing search terms used by job seekers over this same two-year period were nanny, shipping and receiving, registered behavior technician and budtender (a recreational or medical cannabis dispensary employee).

Our experts were correct, beware of lists. Lists are not the be-all and end-all but can often provide interesting insights along with supplemental information.

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