October 15, 2024 • 25 mins
In this episode, Nicole Bentley of Safal Partners covers all the ins and outs of Registered Apprenticeship and how apprenticeship can help build the workforce you need. Questions? Reach out to her at nicole.bentley@safalpartners.com.
At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs.
Be sure to subscribe so you’re alerted when we release new episodes. Learn more about us at LivabilityMedia.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email host Amanda Ellis at aellis@livability.com.
Inside America’s Best Cities is produced by SpeakEasy Productions.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Nicole [00:00:07]:
(00:01):
Registered apprenticeship, really, at its core, is meant to be an on ramp for someone to access these career pathways. And oftentimes this is someone who's coming in with either little or no knowledge of the career or the occupation at hand. And then we are training someone to become fully proficient in the occupation. So we're not just training them to become entry level. The whole point of this is that we put them through this and they are so good when they finish that they could train someone else.
Amanda [00:00:37]:
That's the voice of Nicole Bentley. She's an expert on registered apprenticeship, joining us today to talk about another tool in your workforce development toolbox. There's a lot that goes into registered apprenticeships, so if you've ever found this topic a bit overwhelming, you're in the right place as we break down some of the details, where you can find out more about registered apprenticeship resources in your state and overall, how you can bring more of this to your community. I'm Amanda Ellis, and you're listening to Inside America's Best Cities, a podcast for Chamber, Economic Development, and Talent Attraction professionals. Learn more about this podcast at livabilitymedia.com. And with that, let's jump in. Welcome, Nicole, to Inside America's Best Cities. We're super excited to chat with you today about apprenticeship. Thanks for joining us.
Nicole [00:01:27]:
Yeah, thank you for having me. I'm excited to talk about it.
Amanda [00:01:30]:
So, as we already scooped a little bit just now, we're here to talk about registered apprenticeship. What exactly does that mean?
Nicole [00:01:38]:
Sure. So registered apprenticeship is a hands-on training model where the individual receiving the training is paid a progressive wage and is under the supervision of a mentor. The term registered, which you just highlighted, means that it's registered with the US Department of Labor and has to meet certain requirements that ultimately, in my opinion, lead to high quality programs for both the apprentice and the employer using the program.
Amanda [00:02:03]:
Talk us through some more of what those requirements are.
Nicole [00:02:07]:
Sure. So there's usually like an hour requirement, a minimum of 2000 physical hours working. The program doesn't necessarily always run 2000 hours, but the gold standard is that they're on average working at least a year. They have to be paid a progressive wage. So there has to be a starting wage, and ending wage. At minimum, there's oftentimes more than that, and it's based on, usually it's really up to the employer, but it's based on how fast they move through competencies. So essentially reward for skills gained and then they receive a credential at the end of that stating that they are fully qualified in the position. They have to have that mentor component. So they're kind of this one to one ratio under the supervision of someone who's considered a subject matter expert in the field, which just gives them that added benefit of someone to help them through their work as they're learning this. And then finally, I think what really sets registered apprenticeship apart from just anyone who wants to, to run an apprenticeship is that registered apprenticeship requires an education component that is supplemental to what the apprentice is learning on the job site. So if they are in the position, say, for example, 40 hours a week, their education is, in addition to that, 144 minimum hours a year. So those are physical hours, not necessarily credit hours. This could be in a classroom, it could be internal at the employer. Really just depends on what the program owner wants it to be, but it's supplemental to what the apprentice is learning to help them be better prepared to enter the career pathway. Registered apprenticeship, really, at its core, is meant to be an on ramp for someone to access these career pathways. And oftentimes this is someone who's coming in with either little or no knowledge of the career or the occupation at hand. And so if we can give them as many resources as possible to be fully prepared for that, we want to. Because at the end of that, again, this acts as an on ramp, and then we are training someone to become fully proficient in the occupation. So we're not just training them to become entry level. The whole point of this is that we put them through this, and they are so good when they finish that they could train someone else.
Amanda [00:04:19]:
I'm guessing apprentices often are like age 18 to early twenties, but could they actually be any age?
Nicole [00:04:27]:
Yes. So minimum age is 16. At the federal level, the minimum age is 16. Some states prefer the apprentice to be 18, but, I mean, as far as Department of Labor is concerned, they could be 99 or 100. There's no ceiling to that. It's not exclusive to one age group.
Amanda [00:04:49]:
And what types of industries are we seeing typically covered here? I feel like apprenticeship typically makes people think about more like trades, but also might be bigger than that, like any that might be surprising to people?Nicole [00:05:01]:
Oh, absolutely. I mean, through Department of Labor, someone can register, I think it's over 1000 occupation titles. So pretty much every major industry that you can think of there is most likely an apprenticeship occupation that's registered with the Department of Labor. So historically, we think of skilled trades like hvac, electrician, plumbing. In recent history, we've branched beyond that because we had to. I think you probably know as well as I do, especially with chambers and EDOs getting into the talent space. About a decade ago, there was no choice. And for a long time we relied on talent attraction and buying our talent, or hoping that we could do a great marketing campaign that would have this talent come to us. And what we learned is that they don't exist in the numbers we need them to for a variety of reasons. And so I think a lot of industries started turning to registered apprenticeship as almost like a new approach. Like, “Hey, we've tried all these other things, this isn't working. Maybe we should try apprenticeship? Internships aren't necessarily working. We don't have them long enough.” I hear that often ,“Maybe an apprenticeship would work because we're getting more time to invest in them.”
Amanda [00:06:12]:
(00:22):
More structure too, around what to do and how to.
Nicole [00:06:16]:
Absolutely. I can get into that. Yeah. And that's, I mean, if you want me to, I'll say the piece that I typically tell people when they ask me how they differ is, internships are subjective in how we define success. Because one intern could be doing really great work. You know, say, for example, it's software engineer. They're learning how to code. They're doing all this really great hands-on training with their mentor. And then another intern might be filing paperwork and getting coffee and not really doing anything of significance. But they both were in these, these, you know, kind of general tech roles, if you will, with the same title, perhaps even. Whereas-
Amanda [00:06:56]:
That can even happen at the same company if you have different managers.
Nicole [00:06:58]:
Yes, yes, absolutely. Where, you know, so when you get to apprenticeship, that's completely the opposite. You have a defined, tangible set of skills that you, as the program sponsor, the employer, have agreed to teach your apprentice. And so every single apprentice, no matter who they are, if they go through this apprenticeship program, they have to not only learn those skills, but master them in order to be considered fully proficient in the job and graduate and get their credential. So I love giving that comparison because I think it's sometimes hard for people to conceptualize what does apprenticeship look like in a tech company or a hospital or something very different than what we typically think of when we think of electrician or plumbing. This doesn't have to be exclusive to those skilled trades. It's very much for what, what, it's typically called nontraditional industries. But to me, they're not really nontraditional anymore because it's, it's so widely used and adopted at this point. Um, you asked me in terms of, like, what I thought may be surprising. I don't know that this is super surprising anymore. Cause it came out about, I think, a year and a half ago. But for example, there's a big push right now for k twelve teacher. That occupation was registered, and there's a lot of work, for example, in the state of Tennessee in Nashville. They were very instrumental in getting that to happen. And then South Carolina, I registered a program last year for University of South Carolina as part of their teacher training programs, alternative ways to get certified as teachers, because there's such a critical shortage in K-12 education. And then you get you, I mean, it goes on. You could do an apprenticeship in childcare development. So for, like, childcare centers, daycare centers that are critically understaffed. I was looking at the list yesterday to see what I thought maybe was unique, like anything from meteorologist to pastry chef. I was trying to think of like, okay, what? I think of this as an apprenticeship. And I'm like, well, yeah, it's absolutely. Someone can go sit and train under a mentor for this. And it could take a decent amount of time to be considered fully proficient in the occupation. But it truly can be for anyone and Europe has done this for years and years and years, and employers here decided that they wanted to take advantage and try to train their talent the same way and kind of see the same results.
Amanda [00:09:17]:
I think K through twelve education is a great, like, surprising example because I typically think of that as very much associated with, like, traditional college paths. And like, you student teach and you get your degree and your license, I think, for that. And then. So, yeah, that is a little bit surprising to think about with that apprenticeship label. And then you would be getting paid while you're doing that versus, like, taking out extra student loans if you went back to a traditional school, right?
Nicole [00:09:41]:
Correct. You have to be paid in an apprenticeship at all times. So however long the duration of the apprenticeship term is, you are paid that entire time. You cannot be, you know, best practices. You're not 1099, you're a W2 employee, and you're paid throughout, and you get the progressive wage. So you're not only getting paid, you're getting paid, and you're going to receive at least one increase throughout that. So. Absolutely.
Amanda [00:10:06]:
Which I love how much more accessible that makes this to more people. Right. Because most adults, you know, can't just be like, oh, well, I'll just… Even if they would like to just train into this new thing and not worry about getting a salary for however many years, most people can't do that.
Nicole [00:10:23]:
Not at all. Well, and even, you know, I think even people who maybe haven't had previous careers, but young people getting out of high school, taking this route versus going to a four-year college and taking on debt, a lot of times the education, I don't want to say every single time, because that's not the case. But there's a ton of grant funding out there through the Department of Labor, through state grants, through tax credits, through funding, through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act, through workforce boards to cover related instruction costs. So oftentimes those apprentices are getting their education costs paid for by participating in the apprenticeship program. Whereas if they were just going as a student to a community college, they'd be taking on that cost themselves or have to pursue, you know, some sort of funding to pay for it.
Amanda [00:11:13]:
Yes. So backing up just a little bit. So the organization that you're actually with, Nicole, is called Safal Partners. What do you all do exactly? And what's the connection here?
Nicole [00:11:24]:
Sure. So Safal Partners is a full scale workforce development and management consulting firm based out of Houston. We work in all 50 states and support a number of different US Department of Labor contracts, many of which support the growth and expansion of registered apprenticeship. So I specifically support our industry intermediary contract, where we serve as the US DoL national industry intermediary for cyber and tech apprenticeship expansion. And then I also support our Center of Excellence grant, where we focus primarily on aligning industry workforce education around apprenticeship, kind of figuring out where all of those intersect and helping them work better and create strategic partnerships. So through all this work, our job essentially is to support employers, program sponsors, education partners, community based organizations, industry associations, workforce boards, you name it. If it's a stakeholder or partner in registered apprenticeship, we support them in this effort, whatever that might be, offering technical assistance, all with the end goal, essentially, of creating more opportunities and reducing barriers of access to apprenticeship.
Amanda [00:12:31]:
Gotcha. So Chambers and EDOs in particular, how can they engage with these registered apprenticeships? What role are they typically playing?
(00:43):
Nicole [00:12:39]:
So I think I'll back up about ten years when this really became, like, a hot topic, I started my career in economic development consulting. And almost overnight, all of our projects became about talent. And what are we doing about talent? How are we solving this issue? When you had businesses coming in and looking at a location, they used to ask about the property and kind of the geographical questions about land they were looking at, and now they're asking about workforce almost every single time. So it was like a requirement that chambers and EDOs had to get involved in this space, whether they wanted to or not, I think. Because naturally, these groups are conveners. They are the branch between industry and, you know, public officials, the community oftentimes, whatever role they might play. And so they kind of have this natural spot in the middle where they get to facilitate a lot of that and kind of share information that maybe businesses otherwise wouldn't know about. And so it's critical that the Chamber and the EDO is involved. They kind of can play a couple different roles. We actually produced a guidebook on this through our center of excellence, and we came up with three key roles, the convener, the partner, and the sponsor. So convener being kind of the lowest level of involvement, where at minimum, any Chamber, whether, whatever role the chamber might play, if they have members that have talent issues, which I guarantee they do. At minimum, they should know who their apprenticeship team is in the state, what that looks like, and who someone can call just sharing information and helping their members be aware that this is a tool that exists. It's not unique to skilled trades. There is a lot of funding out there to help employers make this happen, and they can help as a partner. I think we see a step up from convener. So a partner role really acts as more of like, they're hosting those gatherings, they're bringing members to the table, but they also might be connecting groups together. So what that might look like is the Chamber is helping do some employability skills training for students, or they might be working to connect the superintendents of the school district to employers to kind of match them up. It might be that the partner is facilitating connection to apprenticeship occupations so that these individuals can be hired. And so really, whatever they might be able to do to help, whatever resources they might have available, if they're willing to take that next step and get really involved, connecting employers to workforce boards, helping them figure out how they can leverage WIOA funding, working with their state agency or whoever works on apprenticeship in their state to help them realize kind of the financial opportunities that are available in the state to navigate that. Oftentimes it's people don't know it exists, or they, “Oh, there's a tax credit. Well, what is it?” Or there's this grant available in this grant. Well, this is how you qualify, helping them navigate that process. And then finally, you know, a Chamber can be a sponsor of a program if they want to. That's kind of like the deepest level of involvement. It's not for everybody, and it's not like, I think the role I recommend people start with. But a lot of chambers do want to go that far. So, for example, Greater Cleveland Partnership, we highlighted them at the ACC conference in Dallas. They're a group sponsor, and they help employers use this. So they, as the sponsor, act as the kind of over, the umbrella organization, if you will, and they run the administrative component of the program, and then they connect employers to their program. So there always has to be a sponsor, but there also has to be an employer. So the employer could be the sponsor and the employer, but there always has to be an employer to enact that on the job component. But the employer doesn't necessarily have to be the sponsor. And they can bring in someone like the Chamber. I don't know that I would see an EDO playing this role. Probably it's more suited for a chamber, but the chamber can absolutely play that role and facilitate that, especially if they have grant funding that they were awarded or have available. Any kind of, you know, whatever that might look like. Any help they can give their employers in navigating this process or connecting them to the right people, the better. And then as far as the EDOs, because I don't know that I've touched on that too much yet, but bringing apprenticeship contacts into the conversation. So I'm biased towards my community, but my local EDO does a great job of this. He, when he had prospects come in, he would bring all of the workforce people to one specific meeting. And so that's, you know, the EDO has the ability to leverage their resources in their community to help them do their job.
Amanda [00:17:48]:
Yeah. What can you share about the type of funding support available, since this is a Department of Labor federal initiative, like what types of things are or could be covered through that funding? Like, is it part of paying those apprentices? Is that part of it?
Nicole [00:18:04]:
Actually, rarely. So typically, WIOA funding. So Workforce Opportunity Innovation Act. WIOA funding can reimburse for wages, but that is always going to run through the state, regional, local workforce board. And so when you're registered as apprenticeship program in a state, you're automatically, or you should be typically eligible to be added to that eligible training provider list. So WIOA money can cover wages, but Department of Labor money almost never covers wages. However, it can cover a lot of other things. It can cover reimbursement for related instruction. It can cover program setup costs, supportive services to apprentices, whatever that might look like. Sometimes that's a $500 stipend, sometimes that's $3,000. It just depends on who and what is being offered. It is complicated in the sense that there is a significant amount of funding from the Department of Labor. So Department of Labor didn't release funding to support apprenticeship until 2016, but since 2016, they've released a number of grants that usually go to the states or entities within those states, I should say, to then use as they see fit based on the proposed program of work that they wrote. And that Department of Labor funding is where you're going to see, they can't pay for wages, but they can pay for education, they can pay for those supportive services. And then beyond that, states also have their own funding. So they might have a tax credit. They might have a specific program where you get incentive funding. If you hire veterans, or if you hire someone who's previously incarcerated, justice involved, it might be that they have a specific program to train those veterans. If you hire them and employ them for a couple years. It just depends. But a lot of different resources exist out there. However, it's going to be different state to state, and depending on how much that state has bought into the concept and how much they want to support it.
Amanda [00:20:10]:
What's the best way? If one of our listeners is wondering how to find out more about what that looks like in their state, what's the best way for them to find out?
Nicole [00:20:17]:
Sure. So there's information on apprenticeship.gov I'm always going to direct you to DoL first, or direct them, I should say, to Department of Labor's website, first apprenticeship.gov. They can also contact Safal Partners. So through my project as an industry intermediary, we are in the process of creating funding resources or funding resource guides for all 50 states. And I mean, we've given them out. I think we started doing them back in June and we've already given a number of them out to people because this is one of the most common questions I get asked, “How do I pay for this? What's available to help me in my state?” So they can certainly contact Safal Partners. I don't know if you want me to state my email or something else?Amanda [00:20:58]:
Sure.
Nicole [00:20:59]:
It's Nicole.bentley@safalpartners.com
Amanda [00:21:05]:
And we’ll put it in the show notes too.
Nicole [00:21:06]:
Yeah, please do. And they can inquire with me and we'd be happy to talk to them, at least connect them to the right, the right areas to look. If not, provide that sheet and help walk them through it and understand.
Amanda [00:21:19]:
Well, and it makes sense they could use some guidance because I see all the positives that you're talking about here, but I also see that it could be confusing trying to figure out exactly how to tap into it, how it works, like, what the best route is. So that's nice to have you all kind of doing that coaching component and helping people tap into what they do.
Nicole [00:21:38]:
One of the biggest hurdles I see is people just don't know when they're able to get a good explanation. It becomes very straightforward. It's not a hard concept to grasp. If you get the right explanation and kind of can see also, like, a tangible example of what that looks like, you know? Okay, great. You're telling me that I can do this. I'm a hospital or I'm, you know, a tech company. I keep using those two industries because I've done a lot of work with them, or I'm a hospitality. I run a resort. I have this restaurant. Tell me what that looks like for me. I'm a small business. How can I do this? Because I don't think I can. And so just kind of helping them conceptualize, like, what that actually means for them and what it looks like in real life for them to execute is kind of half the battle, in my opinion.
(01:04):
Amanda [00:22:31]:
Yeah, it sounds like a lot of differences by industry, by employer size, by state, by location. So just understanding exactly how that plugs into whatever your unique vantage point.
Nicole [00:22:43]:
And, yes, yes, just the nuances of each of those. And what works for a manufacturing company might not work for an accounting firm or a restaurant. It just depends. And it might be great to have, for example, youth apprentices. Get 16- to 18-year-olds into one type of occupation, and then maybe it's too difficult in a different occupation, just depending on that industry's requirements and regulations or time length. For example, there are some occupations for youth apprentices that don't work because they have to go to school full time and they work part time. And some occupations are just too in depth and take too long, and that doesn't work with a school, a school year, for example. But that's what we are here to do is help them figure that out.
Amanda [00:23:33]:
All right, well, listeners, Nicole is your girl for figuring that out. So we always wrap up, Nicole, with a fun question. So we are Inside America's Best Cities, and you are in Beaufort, South Carolina. Coastal South Carolina, right, is where you live. So what is something like a bucket list item? You would say someone visiting there for the first time would have to do. Could be like, a really great food, something to do. What do you think?
Nicole [00:24:00]:
I love telling people to check out the military installations. If they're able to access the beach, Hunting Island State park is incredible. You know, they do a really good job. The Friends of Hunting Island do a great job keeping it up. Downtown, like, downtown Beaufort. I love going to downtown Beaufort. There's a waterfront, there's restaurants. It's kid friendly. They have a park. I love telling people to go to downtown Beaufort and just partake in our social scene, and it's beautiful. I love walking around there.
Amanda [00:24:33]:
Well, thank you so much, Nicole, for sharing your- something you're really passionate about, which really shines through. And I think I'll be a lot of great information for our listeners. So thank you so much.
Nicole [00:24:43]:
Thank you. I'm happy to help and I hope to have great conversations if they want to talk to me.
Amanda [00:24:53]:
Thanks for listening to the Livability podcast where we take you Inside America's Best Cities. At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review this show wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also learn more about us at livabilitymedia.com. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email me at aellis@livability.com. Until next time, from Livability, I'm Amanda Ellis, sharing the stories of America's most promising places.
Nicole [00:00:07]:
(00:01):
Registered apprenticeship, really, at its core, is meant to be an on ramp for someone to access these career pathways. And oftentimes this is someone who's coming in with either little or no knowledge of the career or the occupation at hand. And then we are training someone to become fully proficient in the occupation. So we're not just training them to become entry level. The whole point of this is that we put them through this and they are so good when they finish that they could train someone else.
Amanda [00:00:37]:
That's the voice of Nicole Bentley. She's an expert on registered apprenticeship, joining us today to talk about another tool in your workforce development toolbox. There's a lot that goes into registered apprenticeships, so if you've ever found this topic a bit overwhelming, you're in the right place as we break down some of the details, where you can find out more about registered apprenticeship resources in your state and overall, how you can bring more of this to your community. I'm Amanda Ellis, and you're listening to Inside America's Best Cities, a podcast for Chamber, Economic Development, and Talent Attraction professionals. Learn more about this podcast at livabilitymedia.com. And with that, let's jump in. Welcome, Nicole, to Inside America's Best Cities. We're super excited to chat with you today about apprenticeship. Thanks for joining us.
Nicole [00:01:27]:
Yeah, thank you for having me. I'm excited to talk about it.
Amanda [00:01:30]:
So, as we already scooped a little bit just now, we're here to talk about registered apprenticeship. What exactly does that mean?
Nicole [00:01:38]:
Sure. So registered apprenticeship is a hands-on training model where the individual receiving the training is paid a progressive wage and is under the supervision of a mentor. The term registered, which you just highlighted, means that it's registered with the US Department of Labor and has to meet certain requirements that ultimately, in my opinion, lead to high quality programs for both the apprentice and the employer using the program.
Amanda [00:02:03]:
Talk us through some more of what those requirements are.
Nicole [00:02:07]:
Sure. So there's usually like an hour requirement, a minimum of 2000 physical hours working. The program doesn't necessarily always run 2000 hours, but the gold standard is that they're on average working at least a year. They have to be paid a progressive wage. So there has to be a starting wage, and ending wage. At minimum, there's oftentimes more than that, and it's based on, usually it's really up to the employer, but it's based on how fast they move through competencies. So essentially reward for skills gained and then they receive a credential at the end of that stating that they are fully qualified in the position. They have to have that mentor component. So they're kind of this one to one ratio under the supervision of someone who's considered a subject matter expert in the field, which just gives them that added benefit of someone to help them through their work as they're learning this. And then finally, I think what really sets registered apprenticeship apart from just anyone who wants to, to run an apprenticeship is that registered apprenticeship requires an education component that is supplemental to what the apprentice is learning on the job site. So if they are in the position, say, for example, 40 hours a week, their education is, in addition to that, 144 minimum hours a year. So those are physical hours, not necessarily credit hours. This could be in a classroom, it could be internal at the employer. Really just depends on what the program owner wants it to be, but it's supplemental to what the apprentice is learning to help them be better prepared to enter the career pathway. Registered apprenticeship, really, at its core, is meant to be an on ramp for someone to access these career pathways. And oftentimes this is someone who's coming in with either little or no knowledge of the career or the occupation at hand. And so if we can give them as many resources as possible to be fully prepared for that, we want to. Because at the end of that, again, this acts as an on ramp, and then we are training someone to become fully proficient in the occupation. So we're not just training them to become entry level. The whole point of this is that we put them through this, and they are so good when they finish that they could train someone else.
Amanda [00:04:19]:
I'm guessing apprentices often are like age 18 to early twenties, but could they actually be any age?
Nicole [00:04:27]:
Yes. So minimum age is 16. At the federal level, the minimum age is 16. Some states prefer the apprentice to be 18, but, I mean, as far as Department of Labor is concerned, they could be 99 or 100. There's no ceiling to that. It's not exclusive to one age group.
Amanda [00:04:49]:
And what types of industries are we seeing typically covered here? I feel like apprenticeship typically makes people think about more like trades, but also might be bigger than that, like any that might be surprising to people?Nicole [00:05:01]:
Oh, absolutely. I mean, through Department of Labor, someone can register, I think it's over 1000 occupation titles. So pretty much every major industry that you can think of there is most likely an apprenticeship occupation that's registered with the Department of Labor. So historically, we think of skilled trades like hvac, electrician, plumbing. In recent history, we've branched beyond that because we had to. I think you probably know as well as I do, especially with chambers and EDOs getting into the talent space. About a decade ago, there was no choice. And for a long time we relied on talent attraction and buying our talent, or hoping that we could do a great marketing campaign that would have this talent come to us. And what we learned is that they don't exist in the numbers we need them to for a variety of reasons. And so I think a lot of industries started turning to registered apprenticeship as almost like a new approach. Like, “Hey, we've tried all these other things, this isn't working. Maybe we should try apprenticeship? Internships aren't necessarily working. We don't have them long enough.” I hear that often ,“Maybe an apprenticeship would work because we're getting more time to invest in them.”
Amanda [00:06:12]:
(00:22):
More structure too, around what to do and how to.
Nicole [00:06:16]:
Absolutely. I can get into that. Yeah. And that's, I mean, if you want me to, I'll say the piece that I typically tell people when they ask me how they differ is, internships are subjective in how we define success. Because one intern could be doing really great work. You know, say, for example, it's software engineer. They're learning how to code. They're doing all this really great hands-on training with their mentor. And then another intern might be filing paperwork and getting coffee and not really doing anything of significance. But they both were in these, these, you know, kind of general tech roles, if you will, with the same title, perhaps even. Whereas-
Amanda [00:06:56]:
That can even happen at the same company if you have different managers.
Nicole [00:06:58]:
Yes, yes, absolutely. Where, you know, so when you get to apprenticeship, that's completely the opposite. You have a defined, tangible set of skills that you, as the program sponsor, the employer, have agreed to teach your apprentice. And so every single apprentice, no matter who they are, if they go through this apprenticeship program, they have to not only learn those skills, but master them in order to be considered fully proficient in the job and graduate and get their credential. So I love giving that comparison because I think it's sometimes hard for people to conceptualize what does apprenticeship look like in a tech company or a hospital or something very different than what we typically think of when we think of electrician or plumbing. This doesn't have to be exclusive to those skilled trades. It's very much for what, what, it's typically called nontraditional industries. But to me, they're not really nontraditional anymore because it's, it's so widely used and adopted at this point. Um, you asked me in terms of, like, what I thought may be surprising. I don't know that this is super surprising anymore. Cause it came out about, I think, a year and a half ago. But for example, there's a big push right now for k twelve teacher. That occupation was registered, and there's a lot of work, for example, in the state of Tennessee in Nashville. They were very instrumental in getting that to happen. And then South Carolina, I registered a program last year for University of South Carolina as part of their teacher training programs, alternative ways to get certified as teachers, because there's such a critical shortage in K-12 education. And then you get you, I mean, it goes on. You could do an apprenticeship in childcare development. So for, like, childcare centers, daycare centers that are critically understaffed. I was looking at the list yesterday to see what I thought maybe was unique, like anything from meteorologist to pastry chef. I was trying to think of like, okay, what? I think of this as an apprenticeship. And I'm like, well, yeah, it's absolutely. Someone can go sit and train under a mentor for this. And it could take a decent amount of time to be considered fully proficient in the occupation. But it truly can be for anyone and Europe has done this for years and years and years, and employers here decided that they wanted to take advantage and try to train their talent the same way and kind of see the same results.
Amanda [00:09:17]:
I think K through twelve education is a great, like, surprising example because I typically think of that as very much associated with, like, traditional college paths. And like, you student teach and you get your degree and your license, I think, for that. And then. So, yeah, that is a little bit surprising to think about with that apprenticeship label. And then you would be getting paid while you're doing that versus, like, taking out extra student loans if you went back to a traditional school, right?
Nicole [00:09:41]:
Correct. You have to be paid in an apprenticeship at all times. So however long the duration of the apprenticeship term is, you are paid that entire time. You cannot be, you know, best practices. You're not 1099, you're a W2 employee, and you're paid throughout, and you get the progressive wage. So you're not only getting paid, you're getting paid, and you're going to receive at least one increase throughout that. So. Absolutely.
Amanda [00:10:06]:
Which I love how much more accessible that makes this to more people. Right. Because most adults, you know, can't just be like, oh, well, I'll just… Even if they would like to just train into this new thing and not worry about getting a salary for however many years, most people can't do that.
Nicole [00:10:23]:
Not at all. Well, and even, you know, I think even people who maybe haven't had previous careers, but young people getting out of high school, taking this route versus going to a four-year college and taking on debt, a lot of times the education, I don't want to say every single time, because that's not the case. But there's a ton of grant funding out there through the Department of Labor, through state grants, through tax credits, through funding, through the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act, through workforce boards to cover related instruction costs. So oftentimes those apprentices are getting their education costs paid for by participating in the apprenticeship program. Whereas if they were just going as a student to a community college, they'd be taking on that cost themselves or have to pursue, you know, some sort of funding to pay for it.
Amanda [00:11:13]:
Yes. So backing up just a little bit. So the organization that you're actually with, Nicole, is called Safal Partners. What do you all do exactly? And what's the connection here?
Nicole [00:11:24]:
Sure. So Safal Partners is a full scale workforce development and management consulting firm based out of Houston. We work in all 50 states and support a number of different US Department of Labor contracts, many of which support the growth and expansion of registered apprenticeship. So I specifically support our industry intermediary contract, where we serve as the US DoL national industry intermediary for cyber and tech apprenticeship expansion. And then I also support our Center of Excellence grant, where we focus primarily on aligning industry workforce education around apprenticeship, kind of figuring out where all of those intersect and helping them work better and create strategic partnerships. So through all this work, our job essentially is to support employers, program sponsors, education partners, community based organizations, industry associations, workforce boards, you name it. If it's a stakeholder or partner in registered apprenticeship, we support them in this effort, whatever that might be, offering technical assistance, all with the end goal, essentially, of creating more opportunities and reducing barriers of access to apprenticeship.
Amanda [00:12:31]:
Gotcha. So Chambers and EDOs in particular, how can they engage with these registered apprenticeships? What role are they typically playing?
(00:43):
Nicole [00:12:39]:
So I think I'll back up about ten years when this really became, like, a hot topic, I started my career in economic development consulting. And almost overnight, all of our projects became about talent. And what are we doing about talent? How are we solving this issue? When you had businesses coming in and looking at a location, they used to ask about the property and kind of the geographical questions about land they were looking at, and now they're asking about workforce almost every single time. So it was like a requirement that chambers and EDOs had to get involved in this space, whether they wanted to or not, I think. Because naturally, these groups are conveners. They are the branch between industry and, you know, public officials, the community oftentimes, whatever role they might play. And so they kind of have this natural spot in the middle where they get to facilitate a lot of that and kind of share information that maybe businesses otherwise wouldn't know about. And so it's critical that the Chamber and the EDO is involved. They kind of can play a couple different roles. We actually produced a guidebook on this through our center of excellence, and we came up with three key roles, the convener, the partner, and the sponsor. So convener being kind of the lowest level of involvement, where at minimum, any Chamber, whether, whatever role the chamber might play, if they have members that have talent issues, which I guarantee they do. At minimum, they should know who their apprenticeship team is in the state, what that looks like, and who someone can call just sharing information and helping their members be aware that this is a tool that exists. It's not unique to skilled trades. There is a lot of funding out there to help employers make this happen, and they can help as a partner. I think we see a step up from convener. So a partner role really acts as more of like, they're hosting those gatherings, they're bringing members to the table, but they also might be connecting groups together. So what that might look like is the Chamber is helping do some employability skills training for students, or they might be working to connect the superintendents of the school district to employers to kind of match them up. It might be that the partner is facilitating connection to apprenticeship occupations so that these individuals can be hired. And so really, whatever they might be able to do to help, whatever resources they might have available, if they're willing to take that next step and get really involved, connecting employers to workforce boards, helping them figure out how they can leverage WIOA funding, working with their state agency or whoever works on apprenticeship in their state to help them realize kind of the financial opportunities that are available in the state to navigate that. Oftentimes it's people don't know it exists, or they, “Oh, there's a tax credit. Well, what is it?” Or there's this grant available in this grant. Well, this is how you qualify, helping them navigate that process. And then finally, you know, a Chamber can be a sponsor of a program if they want to. That's kind of like the deepest level of involvement. It's not for everybody, and it's not like, I think the role I recommend people start with. But a lot of chambers do want to go that far. So, for example, Greater Cleveland Partnership, we highlighted them at the ACC conference in Dallas. They're a group sponsor, and they help employers use this. So they, as the sponsor, act as the kind of over, the umbrella organization, if you will, and they run the administrative component of the program, and then they connect employers to their program. So there always has to be a sponsor, but there also has to be an employer. So the employer could be the sponsor and the employer, but there always has to be an employer to enact that on the job component. But the employer doesn't necessarily have to be the sponsor. And they can bring in someone like the Chamber. I don't know that I would see an EDO playing this role. Probably it's more suited for a chamber, but the chamber can absolutely play that role and facilitate that, especially if they have grant funding that they were awarded or have available. Any kind of, you know, whatever that might look like. Any help they can give their employers in navigating this process or connecting them to the right people, the better. And then as far as the EDOs, because I don't know that I've touched on that too much yet, but bringing apprenticeship contacts into the conversation. So I'm biased towards my community, but my local EDO does a great job of this. He, when he had prospects come in, he would bring all of the workforce people to one specific meeting. And so that's, you know, the EDO has the ability to leverage their resources in their community to help them do their job.
Amanda [00:17:48]:
Yeah. What can you share about the type of funding support available, since this is a Department of Labor federal initiative, like what types of things are or could be covered through that funding? Like, is it part of paying those apprentices? Is that part of it?
Nicole [00:18:04]:
Actually, rarely. So typically, WIOA funding. So Workforce Opportunity Innovation Act. WIOA funding can reimburse for wages, but that is always going to run through the state, regional, local workforce board. And so when you're registered as apprenticeship program in a state, you're automatically, or you should be typically eligible to be added to that eligible training provider list. So WIOA money can cover wages, but Department of Labor money almost never covers wages. However, it can cover a lot of other things. It can cover reimbursement for related instruction. It can cover program setup costs, supportive services to apprentices, whatever that might look like. Sometimes that's a $500 stipend, sometimes that's $3,000. It just depends on who and what is being offered. It is complicated in the sense that there is a significant amount of funding from the Department of Labor. So Department of Labor didn't release funding to support apprenticeship until 2016, but since 2016, they've released a number of grants that usually go to the states or entities within those states, I should say, to then use as they see fit based on the proposed program of work that they wrote. And that Department of Labor funding is where you're going to see, they can't pay for wages, but they can pay for education, they can pay for those supportive services. And then beyond that, states also have their own funding. So they might have a tax credit. They might have a specific program where you get incentive funding. If you hire veterans, or if you hire someone who's previously incarcerated, justice involved, it might be that they have a specific program to train those veterans. If you hire them and employ them for a couple years. It just depends. But a lot of different resources exist out there. However, it's going to be different state to state, and depending on how much that state has bought into the concept and how much they want to support it.
Amanda [00:20:10]:
What's the best way? If one of our listeners is wondering how to find out more about what that looks like in their state, what's the best way for them to find out?
Nicole [00:20:17]:
Sure. So there's information on apprenticeship.gov I'm always going to direct you to DoL first, or direct them, I should say, to Department of Labor's website, first apprenticeship.gov. They can also contact Safal Partners. So through my project as an industry intermediary, we are in the process of creating funding resources or funding resource guides for all 50 states. And I mean, we've given them out. I think we started doing them back in June and we've already given a number of them out to people because this is one of the most common questions I get asked, “How do I pay for this? What's available to help me in my state?” So they can certainly contact Safal Partners. I don't know if you want me to state my email or something else?Amanda [00:20:58]:
Sure.
Nicole [00:20:59]:
It's Nicole.bentley@safalpartners.com
Amanda [00:21:05]:
And we’ll put it in the show notes too.
Nicole [00:21:06]:
Yeah, please do. And they can inquire with me and we'd be happy to talk to them, at least connect them to the right, the right areas to look. If not, provide that sheet and help walk them through it and understand.
Amanda [00:21:19]:
Well, and it makes sense they could use some guidance because I see all the positives that you're talking about here, but I also see that it could be confusing trying to figure out exactly how to tap into it, how it works, like, what the best route is. So that's nice to have you all kind of doing that coaching component and helping people tap into what they do.
Nicole [00:21:38]:
One of the biggest hurdles I see is people just don't know when they're able to get a good explanation. It becomes very straightforward. It's not a hard concept to grasp. If you get the right explanation and kind of can see also, like, a tangible example of what that looks like, you know? Okay, great. You're telling me that I can do this. I'm a hospital or I'm, you know, a tech company. I keep using those two industries because I've done a lot of work with them, or I'm a hospitality. I run a resort. I have this restaurant. Tell me what that looks like for me. I'm a small business. How can I do this? Because I don't think I can. And so just kind of helping them conceptualize, like, what that actually means for them and what it looks like in real life for them to execute is kind of half the battle, in my opinion.
(01:04):
Amanda [00:22:31]:
Yeah, it sounds like a lot of differences by industry, by employer size, by state, by location. So just understanding exactly how that plugs into whatever your unique vantage point.
Nicole [00:22:43]:
And, yes, yes, just the nuances of each of those. And what works for a manufacturing company might not work for an accounting firm or a restaurant. It just depends. And it might be great to have, for example, youth apprentices. Get 16- to 18-year-olds into one type of occupation, and then maybe it's too difficult in a different occupation, just depending on that industry's requirements and regulations or time length. For example, there are some occupations for youth apprentices that don't work because they have to go to school full time and they work part time. And some occupations are just too in depth and take too long, and that doesn't work with a school, a school year, for example. But that's what we are here to do is help them figure that out.
Amanda [00:23:33]:
All right, well, listeners, Nicole is your girl for figuring that out. So we always wrap up, Nicole, with a fun question. So we are Inside America's Best Cities, and you are in Beaufort, South Carolina. Coastal South Carolina, right, is where you live. So what is something like a bucket list item? You would say someone visiting there for the first time would have to do. Could be like, a really great food, something to do. What do you think?
Nicole [00:24:00]:
I love telling people to check out the military installations. If they're able to access the beach, Hunting Island State park is incredible. You know, they do a really good job. The Friends of Hunting Island do a great job keeping it up. Downtown, like, downtown Beaufort. I love going to downtown Beaufort. There's a waterfront, there's restaurants. It's kid friendly. They have a park. I love telling people to go to downtown Beaufort and just partake in our social scene, and it's beautiful. I love walking around there.
Amanda [00:24:33]:
Well, thank you so much, Nicole, for sharing your- something you're really passionate about, which really shines through. And I think I'll be a lot of great information for our listeners. So thank you so much.
Nicole [00:24:43]:
Thank you. I'm happy to help and I hope to have great conversations if they want to talk to me.
Amanda [00:24:53]:
Thanks for listening to the Livability podcast where we take you Inside America's Best Cities. At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review this show wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also learn more about us at livabilitymedia.com. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email me at aellis@livability.com. Until next time, from Livability, I'm Amanda Ellis, sharing the stories of America's most promising places.
Popular Podcasts
True Crime Tonight
If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.