If you are part of a manufacturing company looking to switch an employee into a brand-new role, We Make RI can help facilitate an apprenticeship program of on-the-job learning, classroom training and more. Barbara Jackson is We Make RI’s executive director.
PBN: I was surprised to see that apprenticeships are not just for new workers. Can you explain how else these programs are used?
JACKSON: “Apprenticeship” is one of those words that everyone uses, but we all have a different definition of what it means, and only a very few understand its technical meaning. Apprentice isn’t just another word for an intern or someone engaged in job shadowing, or even the most recent hire. Apprenticeship means a system of repeatable, structured learning that takes place both in a classroom and on the job. There are defined outcomes that support the mastery of a specific job title that is part of an occupation. The program outline is registered with the Rhode Island Apprentice Office and the employee/apprentice is registered as an apprentice during the term of their apprenticeship.
Let’s take the example of a manufacturer with [computer numerical control] machinists. First the employer identifies the machinist-apprentice occupations associated with their company – for example, CNC Machine Operator Level 1 and CNC Machinist Level 2. At the same time, the company will register its unique classroom curriculum and on-the-job learning components of its apprentice-training program.
Now let’s suppose this employer has an opening for a CNC Machine Operator Level 1. The person chosen to fill the job might be a new hire or they may be an existing employee promoted to be trained for the position. Regardless of how the position was filled, the employer registers the employee as a CNC Machine Operator Level 1 apprentice with the Apprenticeship Office and the employee/apprentice participates in or tests out of the classroom training and completes the 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning.
Apprenticeships can be for new hires into entry-level positions or for incumbent workers into an open position where a new set of skills is required. Whenever a hire, transfer or promotion into a new position requires new proficiencies, apprenticeship may be an appropriate vehicle to use.
PBN: How is the ratio of men to women in Rhode Island in terms of those who use your resources to participate in apprenticeships?
JACKSON: The ratio of men to women in manufacturing is changing slowly but consistently and across all occupations. The shop floor used to be a place where physical strength was a key ingredient of mastering a skill, which meant men dominated. Now that advanced-manufacturing instrumentation has made strength a less-dominant factor, more women are moving onto the shop floor. They see the pay, the career opportunities and the teamwork, and say, “I can do this too” … and of course, they can!
PBN: About how many companies in Rhode Island are registered to offer apprenticeships through the state’s Department of Labor and Training?
JACKSON: Companies register their apprentice programs with the [DLT’s] Office of Apprenticeship. So far, we have 18 companies who are registered in the manufacturing apprenticeship program and several that are pending. There is no cost for companies to register, minimal paperwork and plenty of help to complete the process. In fact, we can help offset some of the cost of apprentice training for participating companies.
Any company can register, even if they anticipate having only one person in the apprentice program. They should call We Make RI to get things started.
PBN: I see that CNC machinists and quality inspectors are some of the job titles in which workers can apprentice. How are apprenticeship positions determined?
JACKSON: Almost all manufacturing occupations are well-suited for apprenticeship because most require a level of skill that isn’t part of a standard school experience … even once inside manufacturing, moving up requires continuous learning and training. Each time an employee takes a step up the career path, they might be re-apprenticed in the technical meaning of the word.
The occupations that can be apprenticed are determined largely by the employer. The minimum threshold is that the occupation is part of a career path and the training required for a specific job title requires at least 144 hours of classroom training and 2,000 hours of on-the-job, hands-on learning to become proficient. The classroom and on-the-job learning hours establish the “term” of the apprenticeship. In manufacturing, we have occupations that require a one-year apprentice term – [such as] Production Technician Level 1 – and others, [such as] tool and die maker, that require a four-year term. We Make RI and Apprenticeship RI help employers establish the program that’s right for them.
PBN: Your website says We Make RI can work with companies to design an apprenticeship program. What are good fundamental elements to have in place?
JACKSON: The best thing that an employer can do to prepare for a conversation with We Make RI about apprenticeship is to know what the career path within their organization looks like and what their unique definition of proficiency is for occupations along that pathway. For example, a toolmaker at a plastics manufacturer requires different skills than a toolmaker at a textile manufacturer. We will help manufacturers identify the key occupations and competencies, then identify and even create the best training for the manufacturer to build the skills they need.
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributing writer.
