Apprenticeships, alternate education gain popularity amid labor shortage

Labor continues to be an ongoing issue for companies, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of labor shortages, businesses have been getting creative in order to attract and retain employees.

According to industry experts, many job seekers are looking for more than just a paycheck, but instead a career that will offer security and specialized skill.

For that reason, apprenticeships, on-job training and alternative education options have soared in popularity among employees and employers.

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“We were having a hard time and employers were having a hard time finding qualified people even before the pandemic and the pandemic just made an already existing problem way, way worse,” said Holly Peoples, Upper Peninsula Michigan Works!'s director of business services.

“And so, we have offered these tools over many, many years. Since before the pandemic and especially during and now in particular, more and more companies are working with us on programs that we have.”

While apprenticeships have existed for a long time, they were primarily for trades like electrician, carpenter and plumber. Over the last few years, the range of professions offering apprenticeships has expanded.

Northwest Michigan Works! has helped pair employers with apprentices since 2008, but didn’t have a dedicated apprenticeship team until five years ago. Now, they have helped develop 39 apprenticeship programs through various employers in a range of occupations from bee keeper to wine maker to medical assistant.

“I think that the job seeker now is more savvy than they were, even in the recent past knowing that employers are looking for credentials and not necessarily somebody with a four-year degree,” said Rob Dickinson, regional director of business services for Northwest Michigan Works!

“College has been the ultimate goal for many people. So we're breaking that tradition all over the United States. I believe that job seekers are looking for these opportunities, knowing that they're a lot shorter and frankly, cheaper than going to school for four years, or even two years. They can get this skill set and get proof that they have that skill set and put it on their resume and turn that resume into a prospective employer.”

Apprenticeships can last anywhere between one and five years, but one of the biggest draws is the fact that workers get paid while learning. Any courses that have to be taken are often paid for by the employer, and that investment in employees has significantly improved retention.

Workers who start out as apprentices are also more likely to stick with their company long-term and have opportunities for wage increases and promotion.

Companies like Great Lakes Energy bring in apprentices to train as line workers, the people who service electrical lines.

“For us, the training is critical for the success of our business. It's proven difficult to attract qualified staff including utility line workers in the Michigan labor market in recent years,” said Charity Gee, manager of human resources at Great Lakes Energy.

“So the apprenticeship program really supports hiring and promoting less qualified employees who have great potential. (We) provide that training for them to grow into highly skilled employees. So it's definitely a mutual benefit.”

On average, Great Lakes Energy has eight to 10 apprentices per year. Each spend approximately three and a half years training, totaling 7,000 work hours. Some complete a two-year program with a community college to understand electrical theory before starting their apprenticeship, but this is not required.

The company also works closely with Michigan high schools to attract students who don’t plan to attend college to the trade.

“We hear from employers that have apprenticeship programs, that they think their apprenticeship programs make them more competitive. When someone has a choice between a company that has an apprenticeship program or one that doesn't, all other things equal, people will tend to go where there's an apprenticeship program,” Peoples said.

“Part of that is because there's a lot of training that you get in an apprenticeship program, but there's also regular wage increases that you can count on when you're in an apprenticeship and then when you're done, you get a journeyman card. You can take that anywhere in the country with you and it proves that you're qualified to do that job. So I think there's a lot of good reasons for businesses and for people looking for opportunities to take advantage of apprenticeships.”

For those who either can’t afford college or don’t want to go into debt for their education, the broadening of apprenticeships and alternative education is expanding their options for work.

In February, North Central Michigan College announced new expedited health care programs that would allow students to earn three professional certifications in less than five months.

After the success of the first program, the college announced 10 more programs in Electronic Health Records Specialist, Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomy Technician, Automotive Repair Technician, HVAC Technician, Intro to Mechatronics, CNC Operator and Bookkeeping With Quickbooks.

More:North Central Michigan College announces new Fast-Track Healthcare Program

More:NCMC launches 10 new career-based fast track programs

Students take online courses at their own pace, have some in-person technical days and then are placed in an externship position by the college to get 40 hours of experience before joining the workforce.

“So we chose medical assisting because that was just one that we knew there's a high demand (for). Another big one that we have coming up, where we have a lot of people register for is bookkeeping,” said Christy Lyons, NCMC's director of corporate and community education.

“That was picked just from me spending time going through Indeed and other job sites and seeing that there was a big demand for people in the office setting and doing accounts payable and accounts receivable and with QuickBooks experience, so that's why we put together that program and then a couple of upcoming ones are auto repair technician and HVAC. I think everybody just sort of understands that there's a shortage of those types of positions.”

These programs allow students to become qualified for specialized jobs much quicker than if they pursued a degree, and with financial aid options, they avoid going into debt.

Even before the first fast track program wrapped up in August, students were receiving job offers from local employers. Tricia Morford, who joined the program after staying home to care for her children for eight years, was invited to apply for two jobs, but accepted an offer from Alcona Health Center in Harbor Springs as a medical assistant.

“When I interviewed with Alcona, they were excited because I would already have that training," she said. "I'm doing my externship with them, just at a different office. But also I already had all the requirements for vaccines, (tuberculosis) testing and that all done so that made it a much easier transition for me. And they were willing to work around this crazy schedule this last month getting my testing and things done.”

As a mother to four children between the ages of six and 15, Morford hadn’t been planning to go back to school or rejoin the workforce any time soon, but after hearing about the fast track program, she decided to do it.

“It just seemed silly not to take the opportunity. I was a nurse's aide for eight years prior to staying home, so I've been in the medical field and it just seemed like the right option. And they had grant funding available to help pay for it, so it seems just kind of silly not to at the time,” Morford said.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Labor shortage sparks interest in apprenticeships, alternate education