Apprenticeships for Business – An Old Concept Gets a New Life

Monday Message from Jerry Houston, President and CEO of HPISolutions

Apprenticeships for Business – An Old Concept Gets a New Life

I was listening to an interesting newscast recently about an “innovative” program in the Arizona School System called “Residency.”  Modeled after the idea of the medical professions residents process, the School System has enrolled the first 25 final year graduate teaching students in a program to shadow an experienced teacher in order to learn the role of a teacher in the real world.  The teacher candidates receive mentoring, as well as a paid-for education to obtain their master’s degree.  The candidates must agree in writing to stay in the Arizona School system for a minimum of two years after they receive their degree.

I got to thinking about the old “apprenticeship” days and how many professions took a relatively unskilled person and trained them under a mentorship-type arrangement over a period of time.  These apprentices would bring a good attitude, a willingness to work and learn, and a sense of connection and loyalty to their mentor.  In this age of scarcity of talent in the marketplace, maybe we all need to reset our sights on a different type of candidate.  Someone who will commit to on-the-job development, connection with someone with greater knowledge, and have an attitude of commitment for some agreed-upon time in order for employers to get their investment back.

Food for thought?