NORFOLK, Neb. – Northeast Community College has become a Registered Apprenticeship Program Sponsor through the US Department of Labor.
Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high quality structured career pathway where businesses may develop and prepare their future workforce, while individuals can obtain paid work experience along with classroom instruction. Upon completion of an apprenticeship, individuals will receive a nationally recognized credential from the Department of Labor.
Kim Andersen, registered apprenticeship coordinator at Northeast, said registered apprenticeship programs for students combine post-secondary education with a full-time job and specialized, hands-on training. Apprentices finish college with valuable skills, little to no student debt, and career opportunities in high-demand careers.
“This Department of Labor designation is a huge milestone for our employers as Northeast assists them in developing their talent pipeline,” Andersen said. “By becoming an apprenticeship sponsor, the College has done the heavy lifting and has made it much easier for employers to reap the benefits of an apprenticeship program. Northeast Community College bears the responsibility of program creation as well as a majority of the reporting, so the process is fairly easy for employers to be engaged.”
Andersen said apprenticeship is a flexible training strategy that can be customized to meet the needs of any business. It can be integrated into current training and human resource development strategies.
“Apprentices can be new hires or businesses can select current employees to join an apprenticeship program,” she said. “It is a good way to reward high-performing entry-level employees and move them up the career ladder within a business.”
Apprenticeships allow employers to provide on-the-job training while often partnering with Northeast Community College to deliver the classroom instruction. Students complete classroom instruction at the same time they are working in the field.
In addition to obtaining relevant work experience while in college, many companies cover the cost of tuition and fees for apprenticeship-related instruction.
Northeast Community College currently offers Registered Apprenticeship programs in Helpdesk Technician and Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) occupations with others set to be available in the future.
Northeast’s apprenticeship programs are a component of a grant-funded partnership with Nebraska Departments of Education, Labor and Economic Development, Wayne State College, and Pathways 2 Tomorrow.
Businesses that would like to get started on an apprenticeship program may contact Andersen at kander61@northeast.edu or (402) 844-7121. For additional information on apprenticeships, visit, northeast.edu/classes/apprenticeships.
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PHOTO ID: Northeast Community College Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) students in the J. Paul and Eleanor McIntosh College of Nursing on the Norfolk campus.