Strategic Planning and Program Implementation
The IWSI Group has decades of experience in growing modern apprenticeship programs for a broad range of populations including young adults, transitioning or mature workers and underserved populations like disadvantaged youth, juveniles in the justice system, and formerly incarcerated individuals.
IWSI has worked with individual employers as well as states and localities to plan for sustainability and long-term success of their modern apprenticeship endeavors. For new programs and initiatives, IWSI identifies the skills needed to fill talent pipelines and drive productivity, recruits target populations, customizes training curriculum to a particular industry or employer, and in the case of public sector initiatives, attracts new business investment to communities.
In addition to advising on the design and implementation of new programs, IWSI uses its decades of experience to identify gaps or weak links in existing programs and initiatives – improving efficacy, expanding candidate pools, and ultimately strengthening impacts of a workforce bolstered by modern apprenticeship.
Scaling Modern Apprenticeship with Intermediaries
Around the world, IWSI is well-known for providing capacity building expertise to apprenticeship intermediaries. Intermediaries are a highly effective means for launching large-scale apprenticeship initiatives and expanding existing ones.
Apprenticeship intermediaries are typically non-profit organizations with a strong commitment to workforce development. They fill many of the community outreach, administrative and technical assistance needs of apprenticeship programs, especially for small- and medium-size employers. Intermediaries are quickly taking root in America. As the number of organizations interested in building such employer networks continues to grow, it will help increase the popularity and adoption of apprenticeship across a wide array of sectors. Mostly through its use of the intermediary model, IWSI has facilitated the graduation of over 15,000 apprentices to date.
Brand Awareness and Program Dissemination
IWSI’s special expertise embraces the development of fundamental skills training. For the past seven years, IWSI has operated a highly esteemed job readiness program for at-risk youth across Australia. The organization designed and implemented the program to provide participants with employability skills and the knowledge necessary to succeed in structured apprenticeship programs and 21st century jobs. Along with learning the basics of good work habits and employer expectations, young adults are taught such essential-for-success skills as critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving – putting them on a solid career path. Because every region has different priorities, these training materials are adapted to suit local needs.
High School Apprenticeship
IWSI designs and implements modern apprenticeship programs aimed at helping young adults transition from high school into satisfying careers and well-paying jobs – with a widely recognized industry credential and associate’s or 4-year degree. IWSI is expert at bringing together high schools and post-secondary institutions, parents, public officials, industry associations, and businesses to enable these programs to happen.
Why do IWSI-advised high school programs stand out?
Along the way, IWSI has honed its abilities to identify stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities, and facilitate ongoing and results-driven communication between partners. Further, based on years of expert sequencing of classroom coursework, on-the-job training and finely-crafted mentoring practices, IWSI-advised high school programs consistently graduate high percentages of highly skilled and ambitious talent.
Disability Employment Services
Over 85% of individuals with disabilities are unemployed and living in poverty in the United States. At IWSI America, we are committed to addressing the largest population of people in this country that are unemployed by teaming up with your organization, company or institution to ensure people with disabilities are integrated in every aspect of your business – both large and small.
The national conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion, or D.E.I., is largely leaving people with disabilities out of the coversation. At IWSI America, we aim to ensure people with disabilities not only have a consistent seat at your D.E.I. table but people with disabilities are recruited, retained and rewarded for their work in competitive and supported work enviroments.
Other IWSI Services
Conducting Industry Assessment and Benchmarking Studies to identify key markets and determine common deficits and successes of comparable programs.
Creating and Facilitating Peer Learning and Knowledge Sharing Networks to empower apprenticeship collaborations with the knowledge and resources they need to grow their programs.