What is a registered apprenticeship you ask? Let Haight explain.

“Registered apprenticeship is a combination of two training models combined under one program,” Haight said. “You have an on-the-job learning piece, where the apprentice is learning with a mentor on the job. And you combine that with a classroom-style training program called the related technical instruction, or RTI.”

A registered apprenticeship is completely employer driven. The employer makes all of the decisions in these programs. By embracing an apprenticeship program, business itself actually creates the program, Haight told me. They choose how the individual is taught, what they are taught, and everything in between.

Haight said most apprenticeships last somewhere between 2-4 years, though others can last closer to six years. This is not a short-term fix, and Haight said one thing all businesses should ask before looking into apprenticeships is whether or not they’re in it for the long haul.

If they are, apprenticeships can help create a pipeline of skilled labor for businesses of all sizes. What do we always hear businesses lament when it comes to hiring? That skilled labor is sparse. Well, apprenticeships allow businesses to ensure their labor force has the competency they need to be successful.