21st-Century Apprenticeship: Best Practices for Building a World-Class Workforce

Illustrates how a changing U.S. economy demands a revival of employer-based workforce training and suggests a new model of apprenticeship founded on the best of practices past and present overseas and at home.Registered apprenticeship provides opportunities to learn and earn. Research data indicates that individuals who graduate with an apprenticeship certificate have higher starting salaries than those with only a two-year degree. This book examines the rebirth of an age-old concept in the 21st century―apprenticeship. Serving as a call to action with a positive message for parents entrepreneurs educators legislators and political leaders the book analyzes the condition of the U.S. and world economies from an employment and occupational perspective and describes how apprenticeship training can significantly bolster the economic recovery.Author Jeffrey A. Cantor PhD explains how modern-day apprenticeships can serve business owners in developing workers parents in guiding their children into productive careers and professions community leaders in instituting workforce development policies that support both entrepreneurs and citizens and college educators in working more effectively with business and industry within our communities. Readers will learn how apprenticeship can provide young people with invaluable opportunities to train for desirable high-tech and high-wage jobs without their having to give up on a college education―it is possible to have both.Includes excerpts from interviews and observations from the authors travels through Europe where apprenticeship has been revitalized with great successDiscusses the current best practices and potential of community colleges collaborating with employers to facilitate apprenticeship training and college credit/coursesIncludes sidebars that document how local or regional collaboratives for registered apprenticeship at community colleges can have a tremendous economic development benefitDescribes real-world employer experiences with apprenticeship offering insightful commentary on what works and doesnt work from their diverse perspectives―including employers abroad