9781422276815

Introduction

Apprenticeships have been around in some form or another for thou- sands of years, but, in recent years, they have become popular again. There are several reasons for this renewed popularity. Perhaps the most important reason is that they allow a person to learn valuable job skills without having to spend time and a lot of money on college or university studies. Young people can often join an apprenticeship program as soon as they graduate from high school. This allows them to earn money while they learn instead of taking out student loans to cover the cost of a good education. It’s a good feeling to start your career without $50,000 to $200,000 in college loans. Additionally, many apprenticeship programs not only offer an hourly salary, but also benefits such as health insurance. Those who complete apprenticeship programs often have better job opportunities than those who do not do so. In many cases the employer who provided the training is more than happy to hire an apprentice who is already familiar with company policy, proce- dures, and products. Those who do not receive a job offer from their apprenticeship employer usually have little trouble finding work because there is a shortage of trades workers in the United States and around the world. In fact, trades workers are the most in-demand occupational field in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, according to the human resource consulting firm ManpowerGroup. They ranked fourth in the Asia-Pacific region. The official certificate of graduation that an apprentice receives after completing an apprenticeship program shows employers that he or she has the skills and experience needed to do a job. Apprenticeships also offer far more hands-on training than the average college or university program can provide. While classroom learning is an important part of any apprenticeship

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