Dive Brief:
- Apprenticeships are finding their way as a useful method of addressing skills gaps in the health care market, says a report in SHRM. Currently, there are some 40 health care occupations getting support from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeships programs.
- In January, two New Jersey-based apprenticeship programs were rolled out as part of a partnership between the DOL, Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
- According SHRM, apprenticeships have the advantage of being more structured than other forms of workplace training opportunities, and provide immediate placement in jobs where the need is the greatest.
Dive Insight:
Health care is a perfect avenue for creating apprenticeships because there is an immediate need to place skilled workers into health settings, due to rampant shortages. We are also seeing more millennials opting for apprenticeship programs vs. going into debt with college degrees. There are many benefits of offering apprenticeships including a fast-track to working, the ability of individuals to earn as they learn, and the government funding that is available for providing well-rounded programs in most regions.
It will be interesting to see where things go in the next couple of years, and if the quality of health care programs goes up as the health care system undergoes transformation under a new administration.
