Apprenti Louisiana has transformed its training program from groups of apprentices to instructing individuals online as companies have openings.
Spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, the changes will help companies that need workers faster, says Jacquelyn Schulz Craddock, director of workforce initiatives at NexusLA, who oversees the program.
Launched in late 2018, Apprenti Louisiana has hosted two cohort classes, with 10 apprentices training in cybersecurity last year for five companies and five apprentices training this year to become IT support professionals in Baton Rouge. Moving forward, Apprenti Louisiana will offer training to apprentices individually as area companies with open positions partner with the program.
Craddock acknowledges that NexusLA intended for the program to produce more apprentices, but says its only training for the amount of jobs committed by area companies partnering with the program.
“The beauty of apprenticeship for the employer is that they get someone with aptitude and transferable skills, but may not have prior experience in technology,” Craddock says. “For apprentices, the program allows you to earn money while you learn.”
Craddock says NexusLA is working to expand the program and is currently talking with nearly 100 area companies including those in manufacturing in the oil and gas industry. The expansion into training and pairing apprentices into manufacturing would be a first for Apprenti, which operates in roughly a dozen states nationwide.
“We’re broadening that conversation to that market, and have conversations planned with companies at the end of the month,” Craddock says. “If we have any companies that want to move forward, we’ll look at what their goals are and start looking at a curriculum.”
Craddock notes that the program is not a manufacturing training provider and is not looking to disrupt any offerings by area schools. If one of the companies is already partnered with a community college, Apprenti Louisiana would also partner with that school.
“We manage the talent pipeline and compliance to state and federal regulations,” Craddock says. “We help companies have a repeatable formula for a talent pipeline that’s consistent with company goals.”
