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AUGUSTA — The most recent episode of the #ProvenProfitable Podcast featured Joan Dolan, director of apprenticeships and strategic partnerships, with the Maine Department of Labor. During the episode, Dolan discussed the Maine Apprenticeship Program in particular and the value it’s providing to Maine businesses that are seeking qualified workers.
The Maine Apprenticeship Program is a workforce development solution run by the Maine Department of Labor that aids Maine employers in setting up on-the-job training programs and classroom instruction for potential employees. The program has become a valuable resource for Maine employers like Cianbro, Bath Iron Works, Sunday River and Eastern Maine Medical Center. It has operated in Maine since the early 1940s with an original focus on traditional construction trades but recently expanded into healthcare, finance and other industries. With a recognized lack of workforce, the apprenticeship program is assisting in fixing the problem and has spread into healthcare, finance and many other industries.
Apprenticeships advance incumbent workers into mid-level employees. Many businesses employ workers who are motivated, reliable and hardworking, but may lack certain skills required to support next-level jobs within an organization. The apprenticeship program offers a structured system to assist workers in meeting the demands that come along with the next stage of employment. With a combination of on-the-job learning and more than 140 hours of classroom training, workers become better prepared for the next step in their career.
The organization supports two levels of apprenticeship; an apprentice is a full-time employee entering their career and a part-time student, while a pre-apprentice is a part-time employee and full-time student. A pre-apprentice is typically in high school or college, and there’s an apprenticeship opportunity that lies ahead of them. The Maine Department of Labor is an avid believer in both stepping-stones. “You wouldn’t have a junior high school without a high school for students. In our minds, you wouldn’t have a pre-apprenticeship without an apprenticeship for those individuals on the other side,” said Dolan.
Beyond the traditional construction trades, the Maine Apprenticeship Program is assisting a wide variety of industries from nursing to car sales. In the medical field, it provides recent nursing and medical assisting graduates with additional training and education in the specific area of the hospital where they’ll be employed. The medical field is vast and extremely technical; the additional education better prepares these graduates to work in a specialty area.
Recently, Maine General Medical Center had a need to hire medical assistants, as they had constant job openings that couldn’t be filled. They ended up working with a local adult education program and offered apprenticeships for nursing and medical assisting students. They advertised this great opportunity and had more than 250 applicants. 25 students completed the classroom training and earned their national certification. This success story proves the positive power of the program.
With a local car dealership, the Department of Labor developed both pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. There’s now an agreement in place between the local career and technical school focused on working with juniors and seniors on detailing cars. Students who are successful in that program and have proven their work ethic are usually offered an apprenticeship after they graduate high school. Feeling comfortable in the students’ work, the dealership is willing to provide them with a mentor who can assist them in becoming a technician or sales person.
The apprenticeship is composed of three parts– attract, train and retain. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 91% of the people who apprentice continue to work with the employer after their apprenticeship is completed. Employers are investing in these apprentices and that’s appreciated by the apprentice who would enjoy a future with someone who’s willing to invest in them.
“If an employer is investing in their employees and taking an active role in advancing their careers, employees realize that and tend to give back some love,” said Dolan. “When they see a place really cares about them they tend to stay put.”
There are currently 93 apprenticeship sponsors; some have multiple employers underneath them. The Department of Labor is focused on growing that number by registering associations like the Maine Energy Marketers Association. Oil dealers in Maine fall under that organization, so they are affording themselves different apprenticeships throughout the state. In the next 12 months, the organization will specifically focus on working with businesses to create apprenticeship opportunities for high school students. They are motivated to increase involvement so the program becomes a solid pathway to success.
At the Maine Business Expo on Nov. 14, at the Holiday Inn by the Bay, the Maine Department of Labor is serving as the Katahdin Sponsor. The Maine Apprenticeship Program is also sponsoring the NEXT4ME forum, as the organization hopes to increase participation and help Maine employers meet their workforce needs in today’s labor market. More information is available at maine.gov.maineatwork.
