(2018-07-09) Trumps Apprenticeship Taskforce Needs An Apprenticeship

Donald Trump's apprenticeship taskforce needs an apprenticeship

There are three key barriers to establishing apprenticeships in new economy sectors. The first – and the one that the Task Force report at least glances at – is funding. Jumping through the many DOL hoops to become a registered apprenticeship does not guarantee funding for the cost of the training.

Another challenge ignored by the report is lackluster corporate enthusiasm for apprenticeships in America.

Apprenticeships are sold and not bought, which requires the involvement of intermediaries that establish, manage, and deliver apprenticeship programs on behalf of employers, standing between the employer, the apprentice and the government and “hiding the wiring” for all.

The UK government, for example, incentivized the growth of so-called Apprenticeship Service Providers (ASPs) with payments tied to signing up employers and apprentices. There are now 1,500 ASPs in the UK building “earn-and-learn” pathways to employment

few employers are equipped for a flood of 18- and 19-year-old apprentices in their offices and plants. Maturity is a real concern. So is management bandwidth

while America leads the world in student loan debt, it also leads the world in outsourcing. American companies outsource hundreds of processes to specialized service providers. And it is at these service providers where new “outsourced apprenticeships” will take root.