San Luis Obispo County is now one of the top places in California for apprenticeship programs. SLO Partners, an initiative started by the SLO County Office of Education in 2014, has shared how its programs have positively impacted the community for National Apprenticeship Week (Nov 11-17). In total, the nonprofit has produced three apprenticeship programs over the last three years: ‘Ticket into Tech’, ‘Ticket into the Trades’ and ‘Ticket into Precision Manufacturing.’ Together, these have produced over 300 graduates and employees for around 25 local companies.
“We’re extremely proud our County is now one of the leading providers of apprenticeship programs in California,” said Paula Mathias Fryer, Program Director of SLO Partners. “Our process of creating programs that align with local workforce needs has been instrumental in their success. Businesses know our graduates want to stay and work in the area and have skills which are tailored to their needs. Residents and students also now have access to an increasing number of alternative education paths to four year degrees, which are a fraction of the cost and will help them secure high-paying jobs. This is particularly valuable given the high cost of living on the Central Coast and reduces the need for businesses to hire outside the area.”
“Without SLO Partners I would have never known these jobs existed in SLO county, or had been considered qualified for any of the positions,” said Marlena Lewis, Precision Manufacturing Graduate and Trust Automation Employee. “At the end of the course, I had three employment offers and was able to decide which one was best for my family and I.”
Nationwide, there are over 585,000 apprentices currently obtaining the skills they need to succeed while earning the wages they need to build financial security. There are more than 23,400 registered apprenticeship programs in the U.S. 3,229 of which were established last year.
Those interested in learning more about the apprenticeship programs can visit www.slopartners.org or email info@slopartners.org. The second season of its podcast Hello Careers has also just launched and is available at www.hellocareers.org/home/podcast-episodes/.
About National Apprenticeship Week
National Apprenticeship Week (November 11-17), is a nationwide celebration that gives businesses, communities, and educators the opportunity to showcase their apprenticeship programs and apprentices while providing valuable information to career seekers.
About SLO Partners
SLO Partners’ mission is to engage business partners and educators in aligning workforce needs with career and college pathways that provide work experience opportunities to ensure that students have the skills and knowledge necessary for success in the workplace and businesses have the skilled workers required for a sound growing economy. SLO Partners was formed in 2014 as an initiative of the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education to address college and career readiness among the county’s student population.