The state of Utah recently announced the launch of new apprenticeship programs found at apprenticeship.utah.gov — the state’s first all-inclusive apprenticeship website. Businesses are currently struggling to hire enough workers, and apprenticeships can help employers offer employees the opportunity to start right away and learn on the job.
Apprenticeships are industry-driven, high-quality career pathways that are beneficial to both businesses and workers. Workers get paid, on-the-job and related training, job security and portable credentials, certificates or degrees. Apprenticeships can jumpstart or further careers while allowing workers to develop new skills in high-demand industries, all without student loan debt. Workers can get paid to train for a lucrative career. In Utah, a fully proficient worker can earn up to $60,000 annually upon completion of an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships offer an alternative to a traditional four-year degree. Through an apprenticeship program, employees gain relevant workplace experience while gaining the skills and credentials that their employers value. Employees are also exposed and ‘grown’ into specific company cultures and trained to meet specific company needs. As new skills are mastered, workers receive wage increases throughout their apprenticeship. Employers can then prepare their future workforce while reducing costs for recruitment and enjoying a high retention rate.
Apprenticeships in the state cover a wide spectrum including position in: the automotive, construction, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, telecommunications, transportation, utilities industries and more. National Registered Apprenticeships through the U.S. Department of Labor are an additional resource that can be accessed at the following site: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/apprenticeship.