Apprenticeships and Intermediary Services
TalentGro has been working with industry, education and government agencies to develop Apprenticeship Programs. Our Registered Apprenticeship Program and Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs will deliver a more prepared workforce that will increase productivity, lower maintenance costs and create a safer healthier work environment.
Since 2014, the US has developed more than 75,000 new apprenticeships, the largest increase in nearly a decade. This is, in part, due to the skills gap experienced by employers and to the increasing need for the incumbent workforce to share the skills and knowledge with the incoming force.
At Hamilton-Ryker TalentGro, our focus has been on new and incumbent front-line production workers with the goal of increasing the number qualified individuals who enter all levels of occupations within our key industries such as Manufacturing, IT, Healthcare, Logistics and STEM. At Hamilton-Ryker TalentGro, we serve as “Intermediaries” for our Registered Apprenticeships.
Strong intermediaries are crucial to the development and management of apprenticeships. Intermediaries conduct outreach with employers, recruit and manage new talent, coordinate among regional stakeholders, negotiate with educational providers, and provide the technical assistance necessary to help establish a functional apprenticeship program.
Our model is a competency-based apprenticeship that is employer-responsive, and includes work-based learning strategies, and labor-management leadership. As the apprenticeships are rolled out, we will be there to help with all aspects of implementation.
There are many benefits of utilizing Intermediary Services when developing an apprentice program. Intermediaries aggregate the needs of small employers within industry sectors to ease the administrative burdens of delivering training for both small employers and training providers. Intermediaries build bridges among multiple employers in a region to create an economy of scale in developing apprenticeship programs.
During the program, Intermediaries support apprentices’ progress through site visits to companies with active apprentices. Intermediaries often monitor apprentices’ progress toward receiving their industry-recognized credential, coordinate between related training instructors and worksite supervisors, provide follow-up and supportive services, check attendance, and address challenges that surface. Intermediary staff also connect employers to a funding source to pay for related instruction.
TalentGro serves as the apprenticeship sponsor, saving employers from the chore of obtaining individual approval from the apprenticeship agency. The intermediary assumes responsibility for assuring that each apprentice completes the registration process, is assigned an on-the-job learning mentor by the employer, registers for and completes related technical instruction, and that supporting documentation of apprentice progress is provided to the relevant apprenticeship agency. Intermediary sponsors sign a Memorandum of Understanding with each employer outlining their roles and responsibilities, but the company does not have to sign a “government contract.”
Intermediaries are an asset in getting an apprenticeship program started. They are the link between the workforce, employers, apprentices, the workforce system and education. Intermediaries keep programs running smoothly and are an integral part of this critical workforce development strategy.
