Creating Equitable Access to Career Opportunities and Apprenticeships

Join us here on November 1-11, 2023 to participate in an asynchronous discussion on Creating Equitable Access to Career Opportunities and Apprenticeships.

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Hi everyone!  I'm glad we share an interest in improving access to apprenticeships and other career pathway training so that it is truly equitable!  At High Road Alliance, we are working with adult education programs, unions, and employers in several locations around the country to create collaborative pre-apprenticeship programs with this goal in mind.  We think these programs can blend the best these various partners have to offer – unions’ high quality career training and facilities, employers’ well-paying jobs with advancement opportunities through apprenticeship, and adult education providers’ ESL and other basic skills classes – into a program that makes entry into apprenticeship possible for a much more diverse group of people.

Here is a graphic of a pre-apprenticeship program with contextualized basic skills education provided by an adult school/WIOA Title II partner and an apprenticeship program.

Have you ever been involved in a program anything like this one?  What have you learned?  Or what would you need to know to contribute to this sort of collaborative program?

We are so excited to have Jennie and Peter from High Road Alliance join us again to talk about equitable apprenticeships as we prepare for National Apprenticeship Week. 

Jennie Mollica has over twenty years of practitioner and leadership experience in the fields of workforce development, adult education, and community development.  She has particular expertise in the collaborative design and sustainability of career education programs that are equitably accessible to worker-learners with barriers, such as limited English or basic skills. Since February 2012, her consulting services have included program and partnership development, fund development, strategic planning, qualitative research, writing, and evaluation for public and non-profit agencies.  

Peter Simon has developed, administered, and provided support to workforce development and basic skills programs in California for over 35 years.  In the role of consultant, community college dean, project director, and instructor, his work has been consistently focused on providing educational and career-related opportunities for people who have been traditionally excluded from pathways to advancement.  His particular expertise is in the area of developing and supporting complex, multi-organization partnerships (community colleges, K-12 districts, employers, labor unions, community organizations, and government agencies) that provide integrated basic skills and job training leading to living wage employment and career progression.

Please feel free to ask questions about apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships this week in this discussion thread. Group members are also welcome to share additional resources that may be helpful in connecting adult learners to apprenticeship opportunities. 

Thanks, Chrissie!  One topic we'd be interested in hearing from others about is how have you developed content for a pre-apprenticeship curriculum?  Have you used an Integrated Education and Training (IET) approach to integrate basic skills education and career training?  Or if you are new to this, what questions do you have about what it would look like?

We've found that IET conversations can get really exciting when experienced apprenticeship instructors - skilled in their field, strong in hands-on training, and often not sure how to address basic skills needs in the classroom and on the job -- can meet up with adult education teachers (ESL, math, digital literacy...) and dream up a curriculum that really could prepare learners/workers for success both in apprenticeship and at work.  Too often, some apprentices struggle to absorb technical training content because they could use more support with basic skills, or they may have a hard time communicating on the job because of English ability.  The partnership with adult ed can be just what is needed to address some of these challenges existing apprenticeships face, or to plan ahead for challenges that could come along in a new apprenticeship program.  A pre-apprenticeship curriculum can include an industry overview, career exploration, basic technical skills, ESL or other basic skills, introductory industry certifications, union orientation, prep for an apprenticeship exam (if it's required), connection to support services...  What can adult education contribute, and what will your partners bring?

Let us know your thoughts and questions on this topic!

Hi everyone,

Here is a new blog post on the U.S. Department of Labor website that features partnerships between adult education providers and union apprenticeships!  High Road Alliance is very happy to be facilitating this community of practice among programs in multiple states that are expanding access to apprenticeship for English learners and other adults in need of basic skills education.  Check it out: https://blog.dol.gov/2023/10/27/iupat-bridge-programs-open-doors 

Thank you, Jennie, for sharing these resources and talking about about how IET and apprenticeship might overlap. If you are new to IET (Integrated Education and Training) check out the IET Toolkit. On page 9 of the toolkit it mentions:

"Innovative practitioners are building successful IET programs using new and adaptable workforce development program models to meet IET requirements. Those models include but are not limited to:  

• Bridge programs that provide a broad foundation that enables adults who lack adequate basic skills to enter and succeed in postsecondary education and training; 

• Workplace learning programs that provide an opportunity for adult learners to get some on-the-job experience or training through an organized, structured program; 

• Pre-apprenticeship programs that prepare adult learners to enter and succeed in a Registered Apprenticeship or other high-quality apprenticeship program;

 • Integrated English literacy and civics education programs that help adult learners build English language skills, learn about rights and responsibilities of a person living and working in the United States, prepare for the U.S. citizenship exam, and acquire skills to thrive in fulltime employment;

 • Corrections education programs that provide men and women under correctional supervision with educational opportunities to help them obtain employment upon release; and 

• Out-of-school youth programs that serve youth ages 16–24 who have barriers to employment such as justice involvement, basic skills deficits, and little to no work history."

If you are unsure of who to contact in your area to get support with connecting to apprenticeships, use the Apprenticeship Finder.