John Colborn, Executive Director of Apprenticeships for America: Raising the Visibility of Apprenticeships

Episode 90 August 28, 2024 00:25:27
John Colborn, Executive Director of Apprenticeships for America: Raising the Visibility of Apprenticeships
WorkforceRx
John Colborn, Executive Director of Apprenticeships for America: Raising the Visibility of Apprenticeships

Aug 28 2024 | 00:25:27

/

Show Notes

“Anyone who feels like they want to go to college should be able to go, but having just one choice for every young person entering the labor market seems like a mistake,” says John Colborn, executive director of Apprenticeships for America. Opening a second pathway of apprenticeship would not only serve those for whom college is not a viable option, Colborn argues, but it would also help employers who need workers with hard skills that are often not acquired through degree programs. Colborn is particularly excited about an emerging third path that blends apprenticeships and degree programs that’s being used to grow the ranks of nurses, engineers and teachers. “What schools are doing is putting paraprofessionals already working in the school into a teaching role and at the same time enabling them to get the four-year credential that's necessary to become a full -fledged teacher.” While Colborn hopes this “flex” of the apprenticeship model will boost the country’s low utilization of apprenticeships compared to other industrialized nations, significant growth won’t occur until there is much more federal funding, and different models of funding, than currently exist. Join Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan on this episode of WorkforceRx for an exploration of what those models can be, and the role that states and other actors can play to boost the visibility of a proven option for supplying the workforce the US economy needs.

Other Episodes

Episode 26

October 19, 2021 00:35:04
Episode Cover

Maria Flynn, President & CEO of Jobs for the Future: Now Is the Time to Ask the Hard Questions

The combination of a unique economic moment and major new funding out of Washington is creating an opportunity to rethink workforce development policies and...

Listen

Episode 55

March 01, 2023 00:33:19
Episode Cover

Mark Milliron, President and CEO of National University: The Future Will Favor Flexible Educators

For those understandably concerned about the future of higher education, the optimism of today’s WorkforceRx guest Mark Milliron should serve as a salve. The...

Listen

Episode 71

November 08, 2023 00:24:48
Episode Cover

Lupe Alonzo-Diaz, Physicians for a Healthy California: The Doctor Shortage Is About More Than Numbers

Like all states, California is facing a shortage of physicians -- in its case a gap of 10,500 by the end of the decade...

Listen