The Apprenticeship Model and How it Works

Student Apprentices

  • Apprentices are full-time employees and work regular business hours with benefits while attending school on their own time
  • Apprenticeships last between two and four years, depending on the occupation
  • Apprentice students generally take one to two classes per semester, all year, completing an average of 11 to 15 courses throughout the apprenticeship
    • The curriculum is determined collaboratively between the DOL recommendations, the employers’ needs, and the Schoolcraft College Apprenticeship Coordinator
  • Successful completion of an apprenticeship results in a nationally recognized and highly respected credential from the Dept. of Labor
    • Many apprenticeship pathways include Schoolcraft College certificates and skills certificates in addition to the national credential

Employers

It is a simple process for a business to become a registered apprenticeship employer-sponsor.

  • The College’s Apprenticeship Coordinator works with an employer representative to create a curriculum specific to the occupation for which the employer will train an apprentice
  • Once the curriculum is approved, the employer completes an initial ‘introductory’ form which, with the curriculum, is provided to the local Dept. of Labor office
  • The DOL then contacts the employer to finalize the process which includes:
    • Completing four brief documents including a highly detailed job description
    • Deciding on an initial wage and subsequent increases
    • Committing to pair the apprentice with a subject matter expert for training
    • Having a site visit
    • Entering the apprentice’s information into a database and tracking his/her progress
  • Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) offers an intermediary option for employers to make the process even easier; WIN will handle all of the details of the employer sponsorship, i.e., forms, site visit, etc., at no charge to the employer.