Clark University to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, Nov. 15-21

Clark University will join business leaders, educational institutions and other partners to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, a nationwide celebration marked by events that focus on the value apprenticeships add to a skilled workforce.

President David Fithian signed a proclamation that states he will “call upon the Information Technology Industry to recognize the value of Registered Apprenticeships, and to promote industry awareness and expansion during the seventh anniversary of National Apprenticeship Week.” Registered Apprenticeship programs enable employers to develop and train their future workforce while offering career seekers affordable paths to secure high-paying jobs.

Clark has coordinated with nine workforce development boards and five national training partners (Franklin, Cybersecurity Youth Apprenticeship Initiative, Community Health IT, Automation Strategy and Performance, and Learning Alliance) on events and trainings that will be held between Monday, Nov. 15, and Sunday, Nov. 21. Details of these events can be found here.

In 2019, Clark received a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration to provide business technology training nationwide to people struggling with unemployment and underemployment, and to those who seek to master relevant technology skills in an evolving workplace. Through the Tech Quest Apprenticeship grant, Clark has been working with the Public Consulting Group (PCG) and a national consortium of workforce development boards to provide 4,000 pre-apprenticeships and 1,000 IT and IT-related apprenticeships to unemployed, underemployed, and incumbent workers through 2023.

According to Dug Jones, program director for workforce grants, “Employers in the IT sector are embracing the opportunities provided by apprenticeships.”

“This path is one of the most effective tools to connect high level talent to well-paying jobs,” wrote Jones. “The ability to learn valuable skills while on the job creates a win-win for both the employer and the apprentice.”

To view a fact sheet about apprenticeships, click here. For more about Tech Quest Apprenticeship, visit our website or email Dug Jones at dugjones@clarku.edu.

NAW is a nationwide celebration where industry, labor, equity, workforce, education, and government leaders host events to showcase the successes and value of Registered Apprenticeship for re-building our economy, advancing racial and gender equity, and supporting underserved communities. NAW is an opportunity to highlight how Registered Apprenticeship, a proven and industry-driven training model, provides a critical talent pipeline that can help to address some of our nation’s pressing workforce challenges such as responding to critical supply chain demands and supporting a clean energy workforce, modernizing our cybersecurity response, addressing public health issues, and rebuilding our country’s infrastructure.