Off the job training

The ROI of Apprenticeships

by
Builder On Building Site Discussing Work With Apprentice
Monkey Business Images

You are not fired!

Donald Trump’s signature phrase “You’re Fired” from the reality TV show the Apprentice had it all wrong.  It should be “You’re Hired.” Apprenticeships are the way to go. The numbers are in and the ROI on apprenticeships cannot be ignored:

  • Every $1.00 spent on apprenticeships yields an ROI of 47% for employers
  • Exceptional placement rate after training
  • Extra lifelong earnings for the employees and a $50,000 average starting wage

This is according to Nicholas Wyman, CEO of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation.

Click here to read an article on why companies should invest in apprenticeships.

Click here to read an article on why investing in apprenticeships makes good dollars and sense.

Apprenticeships are successful as they follow a well-tested training model that includes: job-related education, with supervised on the job learning and saleable wages. This system works.

Apprentices are no longer tied to the traditional trades: carpenter, electrician and mechanic. All type of industries and occupations such as sales, engineering, health care and computer programming can benefit from apprenticeships programs.

South Carolina is leading the way and taking apprenticeship programs beyond the norm.

Click here to see what South Carolina (SC) is doing right with apprenticeships.

Look at South Carolina’s apprenticeship growth numbers. In 2007, they had:

  • 90 companies that had apprenticeship programs, and now they have over 600 companies.
  • 770 apprentices and now nearly 11,000 apprentices.

What has caused this apprenticeship explosion? Three things, 1) it works, 2) a small employer tax credit and 3) Germany. Yes, Germany has set up companies in South Carolina and has brought its training philosophy to the State.

Is this program paying off for South Carolina? For he past three out of four years, South Carolina has been rated the best place in the world for international investment.

If you are lucky enough to get into an apprentice program it looks like you are hired!

Discussion Questions:

  1. Research colleges and companies that have expanded the apprenticeship program beyond the traditional trades.
  2. Pick a non-traditional apprenticeship program and develop a five minute presentation to your VP of HR to convince them they should consider developing an apprenticeship program.

Leaders Loving Learning!

by

Off-the-job training is not just for those at the start of their careers.  Recently, the Queen’s School of Business and FEI Canada implemented a program for senior financial executives called the Leadership Beyond Finance Program.

Source: StockPhotosLV/Shutterstock
Source: StockPhotosLV/Shutterstock

Click here to read about the Leadership Beyond Finance Program.

Even though the program is one that falls into the ‘off-the-job’ training category, it calls upon real-life situations and shared learning taken from ‘on-the-job’ leadership experiences.  All too often leaders have to go through very painful and public work related experiences that, if not handled correctly, will lead to disastrous results.  We have all seen or heard of organizational leaders who are put to the test in unsafe and unwelcoming waters with little opportunity to go back and fix mistakes made along the way.

This program offers a wonderful opportunity to share those painfully learned lessons through the experiences of others and, hopefully, alter the leadership approach for those leaders in the program to achieve better results.

In our studies about employee training and development, it is evident that the best learning takes place in safe, welcoming environments that provide an opportunity to practice what is learned before it is applied.

Effective leadership is definitely something that requires lots of practice and will continue to offer multiple learning opportunities along the way!

Discussion Questions:

  1. Identify three traditional off the job training techniques described in the article.
  2. Why do leaders need to learn to listen?
  3. How would Human Resources Professionals benefit from this type of leadership program?
  4. Identify one personal leadership skill that you wish you had an opportunity to practice before having to use it in a workplace setting.