Apprenticeships for All: The Best Apprenticeship Programs Never Stop Improving

Great apprenticeship programs don't stand still. They evolve.

During the latest session in The Attainment Network's Professional Learning Series, apprenticeship leaders from across Colorado shared how a three-month continuous improvement process helped them strengthen recruitment, retention, mentorship and apprentice success — and why making time to improve may be one of the most important investments an apprenticeship program can make.

Building Better Apprenticeships

Hosted in partnership with Emily Griffith Technical College, the webinar highlighted a simple but powerful idea: Continuous improvement shouldn't be something organizations do only when something is broken. It should become part of how apprenticeship programs operate every day.

Kevin Riebau, Dean of Apprenticeship at EGTC, Colorado's largest provider of college credit for registered apprenticeships, explained that the continuous improvement initiative was designed to help apprenticeship sponsors identify opportunities for growth while addressing persistent equity gaps in apprenticeship. Examples of underrepresentation include women in trades or men in nursing.

EGTC partnered with The Attainment Network to develop a continuous improvement framework, including a self-assessment questionnaire and curated resource guide. This spring, apprenticeship sponsors from across Colorado put the framework into action during three facilitated sessions, using the tools to identify priorities, develop action plans, and learn from one another.

Learning From One Another

For Bill Bickett of Greiner Electric and the Construction Industry Training Council of Colorado, what began as a broad effort to expand apprenticeship opportunities quickly evolved into improving recruitment and onboarding — particularly reaching more women interested in careers in construction.

"We realized the need to evolve and improve never stops," Bickett said.

That sentiment echoed throughout the discussion.

Dan Hendricks of the Denver Joint Electrical Apprenticeship and Training Committee (DJEATC) encouraged apprenticeship sponsors not to wait until problems emerge before taking a closer look at their programs.

"It's easy to put your program on autopilot," Hendricks said. "But things are changing all the time — technology, learners and employers. Continuous improvement is what makes a program special."

Bonnie Wright of Haynes Mechanical offered perhaps the simplest takeaway of the day.

"In order to be the best, you have to take time to continue to improve."

Explore the Resources

Ready to strengthen your apprenticeship program? Explore the resources:

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