GAC Newsletter March/April 2022
No images? Click here
Dear Community of Practice
It’s hard to believe we are already approaching a new season and closing the door on Winter. As we inch closer to Spring, our team is looking forward to sharing several engagement opportunities with the broader apprenticeship ecosystem and sharing tools and resources we hope will help our community develop and scale apprenticeship. In this month's newsletter, we continue the conversation of apprenticeship and economic recovery by providing several resources as a follow-up to our February webinar, Upskilling and Backfilling: The Role of Incumbent Worker Training to Address the Needs of the Great Resignation. Additionally, we have included a program success story, which highlights the partnership developed between West LA College and employer West Coast Dental.
Want to learn more about Grow Apprenticeship California and get connected to our growing CoP? Here are a few places you can find us:
Grow Apprenticeship California Website
Grow Apprenticeship California Forum via LinkedIn
Until next month and with care,
Apprenticeship Support Network Team
(Josh, Michelle, Shanell, and Nicole)
FOLLOW US
IN THIS EDITION
- SUCCESS STORIES - A new partnership between local community college West Los Angeles College and major California dental employer West Coast Dental, Inc. is helping to address the urgent need for qualified dental assistants throughout the State.
- IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - Our first webinar of the year, Upskilling and Backfilling: The Role of Incumbent Worker, addressing the needs of the great resignation.
- TIPS FROM THE FIELD - Explore resources outlining how apprenticeship, CTE programs, and Community Colleges are upskilling workers and preparing learners for post-pandemic recovery.
- ANNOUNCEMENTS - The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a grant program to strengthen, modernize, expand and diversify its Registered Apprenticeship Program to enable more workers to earn.
- THE BOOK SHELF - This month's bookshelf includes two resources dedicated to incumbent worker training programs.
SUCCESS STORIES
Free Programs by West LA College & West Coast Dental Creating Jobs
A new partnership between local community college West Los Angeles College (WLAC) and major California dental employer West Coast Dental, Inc. (WCD) is helping to address the urgent need for qualified dental assistants throughout the State. In just three months, over 40 students who have participated in this free training program have been hired. Currently, 100 percent of WLAC’s program participants are Hispanic/Latino, and 61 percent have no prior college experience.
“They're ready to be contributing members of the dental community. They will make any dental office a proud and productive employee. We're very pleased with our new partnership with West LA College and will continue to contribute in a meaningful and impactful way to enhance the communities in which we serve." — Lucy Juarez, WCD Chief Operating Officer
For more information on this program, visit wlac.edu or contact Tiffany Miller at millerts@wlac.edu
We want to highlight your success stories on our website and with our Community of Practice!
We are looking for:
- Success stories
- Learning experiences or application of resources
- Images
- Articles
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Our first webinar of the year, Upskilling and Backfilling: The Role of Incumbent Worker, addresses the needs of the great resignation and highlights the importance of upskilling the current workforce while also attracting workers looking to pivot careers.
It features an overview of programs and Q & A from Frank Gerdeman, Director of ADVANCE, and Josef Preciado, California Apprenticeship Initiative ARC Workforce Development Director.
TIPS FROM THE FIELD
Want to learn more about the role apprenticeship can play in addressing the impact of the Great Resignation? Well, we have included two resources outlining how apprenticeship, CTE programs, and Community Colleges are upskilling workers and preparing learners for post-pandemic recovery. In the first piece, For Smart Companies, Upskilling Is the Perfect Antidote to the Great Resignation, the authors outline how many companies are adopting apprenticeship as a way of upskilling their current employees and creating a culture of continuous learning.
For Smart Companies, Upskilling Is the Perfect Antidote to the Great Resignation >
On a similar note, the second resource included in the Tips from the Field is a webinar titled Community Colleges and CTE: Reengaging and Preparing Learners for the Post-Pandemic Economy. This piece highlights how community colleges are redesigning CTE programs and student support services to retain and reengage learners during the COVID-19 crisis in support of an inclusive economic recovery.
Community Colleges and CTE: Reengaging and Preparing Learners for the Post-Pandemic Economy >
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a grant program to strengthen, modernize, expand and diversify its Registered Apprenticeship Program to enable more workers to earn. At the same time, they learn and find reliable pathways to the middle class.
This ongoing strategy is a part of resident Biden’s plan to strengthen Registered Apprenticeships. The department’s “Apprenticeship Building America” program will make $113 million in grant funding available, including up to $50 million to support equity partnerships and pre-apprenticeship activities to increase enrollment in Registered Apprenticeship Programs.
The grants will further the Biden-Harris administration’s goals and priorities for a strong and equitable post-pandemic economic recovery by connecting Americans to good quality jobs in priority industry sectors, including critical supply chain industries and among populations disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) Grant Program >
THE BOOK SHELF
This month's bookshelf includes two resources dedicated to incumbent worker training programs.
In the first piece titled “Incumbent Worker Training Expert Dialogue,” apprenticeship experts details what an incumbent worker training program entails, program implementation strategies, benefits of an incumbent worker program, and additional resources and considerations related to incumbent worker training programs.
We have also included a report from National Skills Coalition titled “It’s Incumbent on the U.S.: Leveraging federal policy to maximize investment in incumbent worker training and business’ pipeline development.” Within the report, the authors call for an inclusive economic recovery to the COVID-19 health crisis and its economic impact and focus on how federal policy can invest in and support businesses investing in incumbent workers.
