|
What is Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is the passing of skills and knowledge from one
generation to the next. It is a formal training agreement between a
company and an employee (apprentice) whereby an apprentice will
receive the education and on-the-job training necessary to make
him/her proficient in a chosen craft. Formal documents outline the
apprenticeship agreement between employer and apprentice and cover
all aspects, including starting wage, specific on-the-job training,
duration of training, related trade instruction, periodic pay
increases. These documents are
filed with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship (DOL/OA).
Every apprenticeship requires a minimum of 144 instructional
hours (contact hours) per year in addition to a specified number of
hours of on-the-job training. While the structure of an
apprenticeship is mandated by the DOL/Office of Apprenticeship, the
training program content is developed by the employing firm.
Although the instructional hours can be provided through private
vendors or in-house, it is most often provided by the community college.
Kalamazoo Valley Community College has a long history of
supporting apprenticeship programs for local companies. College
staff works with a DOL/OA representative to develop programs with
local companies, assists with identifying appropriate classes, works
with company representatives to identify apprentice/students who
need to register each semester, and completes the KVCC registration
process for the apprentice/student and the company. At the end of
each semester, participating companies are provided with a report of
the final grades for their apprentices, and notified when each
apprentice/student has completed the required
instructional/contact hours. This final report is filed with the DOL/OA by the company,
along with documentation of completion of the required on-the-job
training hours, so that a journeyperson’s certificate can be issued.
|
