The Director’s Chair

FOR THOSE OF you who haven’t worked with Apprenticely very long, I want to give you a little context. We launched in late 2018 as the Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (ACDS), a non-profit charged with helping to bridge the gap between Arkansas employers’ soaring demand for tech talent and the state’s then-current tech talent supply. Our strategy was to fulfill our mission through the development and placement of Registered Apprenticeships.

For most of 2019, we met with employers to get an in-depth understanding of their various needs, and we hammered out the processes necessary for recruiting, preparing, and training the talent for many different kinds of tech occupations. Our first apprenticeship cohorts, for Computer Programmers, Cybersecurity, and Data Analysts, began in December 2019. A few months later, COVID hit, throwing the existing workforce into disarray. But precisely because of that interruption in so many business sectors, ACDS found the opportunity to capture the attention of a new audience—one, say, that in normal times had been too busy with their restaurant-industry shifts to even think about a career change, or about growing their knowledge in a new field.  

So we began focusing our attention on career changers—reskilling, upskilling, and connecting these displaced workers with new opportunities. And guess what: Even when the restaurants finally opened their doors again, the concepts of reskilling and upskilling didn’t fold their tents and slink away. Too many people had been exposed to the possibility of a better life, and Registered Apprenticeships were making workforce waves from coast to coast.

Fast-forward to today: Many things have changed in our particular world. For one, we’ve expanded our portfolio from just IT to include other sectors as well—advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy, transportation, and financial services. Because of that change, we’ve also taken a new, less limiting name reflecting how we do workforce in general—Apprenticely. And while career changers remain a big part of our work sector-wide, we’re now also starting to tackle a part of our mission that we’ve known from the get-go we needed to be addressing.

Workforce is a very fluid idea. For many decades, the Boomer generation has played a central role in all aspects of work in the U.S., but Boomers are now retiring fast, and the generations that came after the Boomers weren’t nearly as numerous. So in order to continue to progress and grow, we need to be preparing our younger generation to take the torch and run with it. That means high school students. And we can’t wait until they’ve graduated and entered the workforce; we have to help them discover their career opportunities and start developing the in- demand skills they need while they’re still in high school. But to do that, we need to be able to communicate regularly and deeply with Arkansas high school staff, students, counselors, and parents—a very tall order, since there are hundreds of high schools throughout the state.

Fortunately, our state department of education is on the same wavelength. “In response to the LEARNS Act ‘Readiness’ requirements,” says Dr. Tina Moore, the DHE’s Director of Workforce Development, “the Arkansas Department of Education has committed to promoting early career experiences beginning in the middle grades that expose students to a wide range of post-secondary pathways and careers. Additionally, career-ready pathways to a diploma aligned to high-wage, high-demand careers have been established. High school students can now graduate with Merit and Distinction recognition for completing a career-ready pathway and demonstrating post-secondary readiness (e.g., earning an industry recognized credential; completing early college credits, certificates, and degrees; or completing a youth apprenticeship leading to a registered apprenticeship). Schools are eager to partner with external stakeholders to communicate diverse workforce pathways.”

Apprenticely is also working to do our part in preparing our young people for the workforce. To understand students’ career goals, educational aspirations, and their knowledge of apprenticeships, EAST program students at Warren High School have created and distributed a student survey to gather this data. The survey is somewhat like a corporate Request for Proposals. The business gives a real problem or business need, and students submit their proposals. The employer then interviews and selects which students to work with. And Apprenticely will use their responses to provide applicable career discovery material and training resources of known pathways. 

For anyone reading this—employers, parents, or both—you can be part of this initiative. Consider partnering with the school districts, state agencies, and organizations that need your help. Give them—and us—your feedback and expertise regarding the skills your company and your industry is looking to hire. Encourage any companies related to STEM career paths to consider partnering with organizations like East Initiative. Young people need real-world exposure to the careers out there. What better way than through real projects?

In closing, I’ll say that this Spring has been busier than prior job fair seasons for the Apprenticely career coaches. We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of career fairs open to or directly targeting high school Juniors and Seniors. For that, I think we have quite a few people and organizations to thank, including the leadership of our state and local school districts; high school career academies (Ford Next Generation Learning); the new industry-recognized credentials available from change agents like Tina Moore and others at the Arkansas Division of Higher Education; Be Pro Be Proud; and a dozen other non-profits all with the same mission—early career exposure.

Unfortunately, many young Arkansans still don’t know what career they’re interested in or what education pathway options are available to them. And this is the group that needs us most. The Ford Next Generation summed it up best: We must “Prepare the Next Generation to Succeed in a Life. Defined by Them.” Our friends in education have spent the last few years transforming teaching and learning. Now it’s time to strengthen the partnerships between the schools and local business communities.

–Bill Yoder
Executive Director