Co-ops and Apprenticeships: Bring them Back
June 1, 2011Comments
Apprenticeship programs are in short supply, which some would say is a result of the economic downturn, but even before the recession these programs were being “downsized” by many manufacturers. Where do we think we will find highly skilled individuals if we are not willing to feed these channels? The money isn’t and shouldn’t be coming from Uncle Sam; the U.S. Department of Labor reports that the U.S. government provides a paltry $21 million annually to support apprenticeship programs.
Being one who is not confident in our government’s ability to manage, I propose we cut this from the budget and place the responsibility squarely on business. But to do so, the business community must recognize the value and invest in creating these types of programs. The view from my glass house isn’t all that rosy; the PMA Education Foundation website lists just 22 companies, or 5 percent, as offering apprenticeship programs out of a total of 447 manufacturing members and a mere 3 percent of all 809 associate and manufacturing members. Spending on a well-structured apprenticeship program is analogous to product R&D, without which we simply stop advancing.
Internships and co-ops are plentiful, but they don’t als deliver their full potential when the program is loosely structured. At worst, the business ends up babysitting less-than-driven students who are cruising for a few months’ pay and college credit. Taking advantage of university-fueled internship programs requires a dedicated management team that interviews and selects candidates with the same vigor as if they were hiring, and then structures a position, expected deliverables and a work environment to ensure mutual gains. Co-op programs like those provided by Kettering University (Flint, MI), formerly the General Motors Institute, create an extremely productive relationship between companies and students where the long-term goal is to create well-equipped, next-generation employees. Kettering’s program has students alternate between classroom semesters and serving in co-op positions aligned with the student’s major.
Apprenticeships, co-ops and structured internship programs fuel our future workforce, but we need to make the effort today. We need to tune-up our sales pitch and appearance if we are to appeal to a younger audience. And we must work to collectively change society’s impression of manufacturing and trade-related careers. People too often have a negative association with manufacturing, and believe that taking this path is not rewarding or valued by society. Changing this mindset will take time, and we need to start at home with how we present our trade organizations, our businesses and ourselves.
With PMA being a manufacturing-centric organization, I feel that we should aspire to do better, and be an example for other industries. We can start by resurrecting skilled-trades apprenticeship programs within the manufacturing membership ranks. We must recruit young people to the metalforming industry through the PMA Educational Foundation. This should take the form of a multifaceted marketing campaign including updated content and improved presentations on its website (www.pmaef.org), and a multiple media strategy that includes mobile and social media. MF
Technologies: Management, Training