Groups step in to coordinate high school apprenticeships

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Dive Brief:

• Setting up effective registered apprenticeships takes time and expertise that most schools and businesses are not equipped to handle, but intermediary groups, which vary from state to state, can provide services that oversee the process, Education Week reports.
• For instance, in South Carolina, the Apprenticeship Carolina program has worked with the U.S. Department of Labor, businesses, community colleges and high schools to set up more than 28,000 apprenticeships over the past 10 years.
• Since President Donald Trump has called for a major expansion of these apprenticeships, schools can benefit from using these organizations to create and find registered internships that offer real credentials and pay students to learn a valuable skill.

Dive Insight:

According to a recent article published by the National Skills Coalition, “In 1973, only 28% of all jobs required some form of postsecondary education or training — meaning that entering the higher education system to acquire additional skills was not necessary for most workers. Today, the economic landscape is vastly different, with approximately 80% of all jobs requiring some form of postsecondary education or training. This, coupled with the fact that nearly half of all jobs can be classified as middle-skill, has resulted in a notable shift in the utility of higher education.”

The need for apprenticeships in the current educational and business climate is clear, and more funding is expected for apprenticeships as President Trump, whose former reality show was built around the concept, is pushing for increased funding in this area. Apprenticeships benefit both schools and businesses. However, while registered apprenticeships offer more value to students, they are often hard to coordinate without additional help. Community colleges are often the

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