Increase Your Skilled Worker Hiring Pool with Apprenticeships
Manufacturers in all sectors struggle with finding, developing, and engaging employees. Getting candidates in the door is a challenge. Once they’re hired, it’s difficult to onboard them effectively and get them to full contribution quickly. After investing in training and onboarding, we’ve heard from manufacturers who are frustrated that the new hires quit or don’t show up for work. They find themselves back at square one.
Learn How to Find Employees, Hire Effectively, and Train Efficiently
In an effort to serve manufacturers, OMEP will soon be launching a cohort series focused on helping manufacturers find, onboard, and train employees while drawing on apprenticeships to enhance these efforts. Attendees of the workshop will learn how to:
- Effectively recruit and onboard employees
- Develop training and compensation systems for new and existing employees
- Build career pathways that engage new and existing employees
This new cohort is meant to help companies lower labor costs without layoffs, reduce employee turnover, and quickly get employees proficient in their specific job tasks. OMEP will be announcing the dates for this cohort soon.
The Nuts and Bolts of Apprenticeships
Registered Apprenticeship is a system where employers take on the responsibility to train employees on the job while facilitating their education through a formal course of study. At the culmination of the program, an apprentice receives a national industry-recognized journey card issued by the State of Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.
Apprenticeship programs are overseen and managed by an independent body called a Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) which is registered by the State to manage the program. Apprentices apply to and are registered with the JATC. They work and are paid as regular employees while attending class year-round in the evening at the educational institution chosen by the JATC. A registered apprenticeship is based upon the premise that an apprentice will be advanced in pay as they accrue more on-the-job and classroom hours.
Build Apprenticeships into Your Workforce Strategy
You can draw on a pool of potential new hires to bring on willing and skilled candidates for a fraction of the cost by becoming a registered Training Agent. Training agents pay a small administration fee per apprentice and receive subsidies for apprentice education expenses. In return, Training Agents will have well trained, journey-level employees on their team! These apprentices gain valuable transferrable skills and knowledge to boost their careers. To learn more about becoming a Training Agent, click on this link.
