“Always two there are, no more, no less.
A master and an apprentice.”
– Yoda
From the dawn of civilization there has been the master/apprentice relationship. The closest teaching agreements tend to be between one who has mastered a study and the one who will learn. Many are the arrangements between the teacher and the learner. Historically, the master accepted a student that moved into the workshop and earned his bed and board, or the bed and board were paid by a benefactor, often a concerned parent. Their work began with simple tasks such as sweeping and, if successful, then cleaning. After diligence was proven, a course of study began. It would begin as with the sweep-to-cleanup procedure; the first lessons were simple. As aptitude was proven or disproven, the apprenticeship amped up or ended.
Today’s apprenticeship experience is different than that model and unique to this era. It merges more with labor laws and diverges from the master/apprentice method. With that, it remains that it is a proven approach for preparing people for jobs in a highly skilled work environment. It is business-driven in a learn-while-you-earn, on-the-job training workplace. Testing and classroom work often exist in a community college or training center environment. The contemporary model also involves progressive and commensurate increases in an apprentice’s skills and wages. Apprenticeship represents a largely flexible training strategy that can be customized to meet the needs of any business or learner. The apprentices can be new hires or businesses can select and promote current employees in need of skill advancements into their apprenticeship program.
Apprenticeship leads the way in preparing American workers to compete in today’s economy. Apprenticeship programs keep up with progressing technologies and changes in training and workplace development through the dedicated involvement of employers in the training and education process. While it is used in traditional industries such as construction and manufacturing, apprenticeship is also instrumental for training and development in growing industries, such as health care, information technology, transportation and logistics, and energy.
If you are interested in apprenticeship in Northern Arizona, email your resume; nking@aspentelco.com . When it has to be done right, it has to be Aspen Communications.
