UAA Community & Technical College recognizes National Apprenticeship Week
by Michelle Saport |
In the United States today, apprenticeships are available in more than 1,000 occupations.
(Source: www.dol.gov/apprenticeship)
Photo by Philip Hall/University of Alaska Anchorage
Update: Since this story was originally posted, Governor Bill Walker has also proclaimed Nov. 2-8, 2015, as Apprenticeship Week in Alaska. Read the press release.
President Barack Obama has proclaimed Nov. 2-8 the first annual National Apprenticeship Week, and the Alaska Workforce Investment Board adopted a resolution in late October endorsing the week and the importance of apprenticeships to the state.
In keeping with these state and federal workforce strategies, the UAA Community & Technical College (CTC) has been retooling its registered apprenticeship program. Rather than a standalone degree, apprenticeships will be embedded within CTC programs, creating more streamlined career pathways for students to receive classroom and on-the-job training.
"Apprenticeships are attractive options for students because they provide an opportunity to earn while you learn," said Cathy LeCompte, CTC associate dean for career and technical education. "Participating businesses gain a competitive advantage by being able to strategically recruit and develop their workforce.
" Students in a registered apprenticeship program sign up for UAA classes, but they are also employees of the partnering organization. This means they are compensated while receiving hands-on career training, and, in addition to receiving college credit, also earn national industry certification. A college's participation in an apprenticeship program means its programs meet national standards for registration with the U.S. Department of Labor or federally-recognized state apprenticeship agencies.
The UAA Community & Technical College is also the only college in the state to join the Registered Apprenticeships College Consortium or RACC. Participation in RACC signifies high standards of accountability and a commitment to curriculum best practices.
RACC members must have their programs evaluated by a third party organization to determine the college credit value of the apprenticeship completion certificate. All RACC college members must be degree-granting institutions that are accredited by a regional institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
For more information about CTC's apprenticeship programs, contact Jeff Selvey, project manager, at (907) 786-7618 or cselvey@uaa.alaska.edu.
For more information about National Apprenticeship Week, visit the U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship website.
About the UAA Community & Technical College The UAA Community & Technical College builds Alaska's workforce and fosters student success through quality education and technical training. Learn more at uaa.alaska.edu/ctc. By Kirstin Olmstead, CTC Communications Coordinator
"UAA Community & Technical College recognizes National Apprenticeship Week" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.