This week marked the 9^th Annual National Apprenticeship Week (NSW) celebrating the important role Registered Apprenticeships play in developing varied industries workforce pipelines. As part of this week’s recognition, the Delaware Department of Labor held several events. I was able to attend the Department sponsored job fair at Hodgson Vo-Tech and talk with attendees and industry representatives like Ali Carter (pictured above), Sobieski, Inc.

The earliest reference to “apprenticeship” that I found dates back 4,000 years to the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi which directed artisans to teach their craft to the youth to pass on their skills. In 1937, the National Apprenticeship Act (NAA), known as the Fitzgerald Act, was signed into law establishing the Registered Apprenticeship program. In the 1960s and 1970s the Fitzgerald Act was amended to provide better apprenticeship opportunities for underrepresented people in Registered Apprenticeship programs. Today the purpose of an apprenticeship remains the same but with the ever increasing complexity of skilled work the modern apprenticeship has evolved.

For those who haven’t been a skilled craft apprentice or been close to someone who has gone through a skilled craft apprenticeship, I think it’s unlikely that they really know the commitment and the reward of truly learning a skilled craft. Most registered apprenticeships are four years long, some longer, or 8,000 hours of on-the-job training. For each year of training, a minimum of 144 hours of related instruction is required. Delaware currently has 1,716 people building their careers through Registered Apprenticeships. Probably not a surprise to you given constructions long history of apprentice training, the top five occupations for registered apprentices are electricians, HVAC, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, carpenters and construction laborers.

The value of completing a registered apprenticeship program cannot be overstated as it provides industry recognized, nationally portable, credentialing that certifies occupational proficiency. DCA’s members have long been committed to building the most highly skilled and safest workforce through apprenticeships. Immediate Past President, Mike Peet, ModernControls, drove this point home when giving his Annual Dinner address he had several apprentices sponsored by ModernControls join him on the stage. Just a week ago, I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak with a woman who is considering making a career change to the electrical trade. In addition to speaking to her about the great career she can have in construction we talked about her becoming an electrical apprentice.

National Apprentice Week is a great time to draw attention to the important role Registered Apprenticeships play in our industry but as you know promoting skilled craft apprenticeships is a daily effort we all champion!