Ryan Craig's, Managing Director of Achieve Partners, most recent piece for Forbes explores the growing U.S. demand for apprenticeships and what the convergence of apprenticeships and degrees can mean for employers, learners, and post-secondary pathways.
"There’s a reason companies are excited to talk about apprentices, even in tiny numbers: everyone likes them (especially Brenda Liola, especially a party of Scotsmen from Hull). 92% of Americans have a favorable view of apprenticeships. Another survey found that given the choice between a full-tuition college scholarship and a three-year apprenticeship leading to a good job, most parents would opt for the latter. California Governor Gavin Newsom wants five hundred thousand apprentices in the state by 2029 (a seven-fold increase). Mayor Eric Adams wants to increase New York City apprentices by an order of magnitude by 2030. And it’s not just blue states. Republicans are desperate to support earn-and-learn alternatives to college. Apprenticeship may be the one major education/workforce issue both sides agree on. And why not? Apprenticeships are full-time jobs that pay a living wage with built-in training, wage increases, and career pathways – a recipe for resetting and restarting socioeconomic opportunity and mobility."
Given the prominence of apprenticeship degrees in the U.K., Craig outlines what constitutes an effective apprenticeship degree and how apprenticeship pioneers, such as Multiverse, Zurich North America, and Reach University are promulgating apprenticeship degrees in the U.S. Read the full article here.
