POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Economic and Workforce Health

Policy Recommendation 10:

States can explore State as a Model Employer apprenticeship programs that are also public-private partnerships. For example, state governments could create a public sector apprenticeship that educates, trains, pays and offers credentials to job seekers. Upon completion of the public sector apprenticeship, the graduate could be offered a job with a private-sector organization partnered with the state that employs individuals with a similar skillset.

The Economic and Workforce Subcommittee unanimously approved passing this recommendation in support of the states exploring State as a Model Employer apprenticeship programs to better prepare individuals for private sector employment.

We have a similar state-level apprenticeship model in Arkansas that is launching in fall 2023. Arkansas’s Teacher Residency Apprenticeship Program is designed to increase the teacher pipeline. Participants will serve as apprentices at schools while earning a wage and upon completion will earn a four-year degree, a teaching license and a nationally recognized apprenticeship certification.”

— Director of Workforce Services Charisse Childers, Arkansas

Apprenticeships in the public sector provide several advantages to state workforces. Individuals who remain in state or local government jobs can benefit from professional stability, student loan forgiveness, competitive health insurance and other benefits including paid leave, work-life balance, professional development and advancement opportunities. In addition, public-sector apprenticeships can lead to improvements in the worker’s community, whether the apprenticeship is focused on the transportation, corrections, broadband installation or infrastructure sectors, among others.

Additionally, research shows that workers are quitting for better pay and benefits. Highlighting the myriad of benefits to apprenticeships might boost employment in both the public and private sector, particularly when one acts as a bridge to the next.1 Research shows that 93% of participants who complete their apprenticeship retain employment, creating a talent pipeline.2

State leaders who want to benefit from temporary state workers while boosting employment long-term might consider how civic sector apprentices could graduate to full-time employment in the private sector upon completion of a public-private apprenticeship program.

State Examples

North Dakota Tribal College System (NDTCS) announced in September 2022 a statewide apprenticeship program in partnership with Hess Corporation, Halliburton and Nabors Industries. Over a four-year period, Hess Corporation will invest $12 million to provide tuition assistance, stipends and other support for establishing apprenticeships in a variety of industries designed by each of the state’s five tribal colleges based on the local job market and needs of their tribal communities.3 NDTCS teaches apprentices skills that prepare them for jobs in the private sector.

The Nebraska Workplace Experiences Continuum is organized into three tiers: awareness strategies, exploration strategies and work-balance learning strategies.4 The three phases allow for students to explore career choices and better understand their talents, strengths and interests. This helps students identify the postsecondary education needed for their career choice. The second phase of the continuum is focused on teaching the students career readiness skills. Upon completion of the continuum, students are prepared for jobs in the private sector.

Additional Resources

ƒ U.S. Government Accountability Office Science and Technology: Strengthening and Sustaining the Federal Science and Technology Workforce — https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-461t

ƒ The Council of State Governments: Disability Employment Policy — https://seed.csg.org/policy-curriculum/apprenticeships/

ƒ Arkansas Department of Education’s Arkansas Teacher Residency Apprenticeship Program — https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/ Files/U.S._Department_of_Labor_Approves_Arkansas_Teacher_Residency_Apprenticeship_Program_COMM.pdf