Apprenticeship Programs

CLOSE THE TALENT GAP

Apprenticeship Programs

by David H. Hoover

The Talent Gap in the United States represents unprecedented latent human potential

Nearly 20% of 18-24 year olds in the US are unemployed.

Meanwhile…

50% of US employers are unable to hire into critical roles.

How will you fill your critical roles?

Continue trying to fill the same old box of job

requirements?

Or change the box?

There are many solutions

Apprenticeship Programs are one solution, and they’re a solution that many businesses can

implement.

Need more software developers?Grow them.

Apprenticeship programs for software developers are on the rise.

Formal apprenticeship programs for software developers have been popping up since the 90’s.

I’ve been involved in apprenticeship since 2002.

But wait. Why?

Apprentices are:EnthusiasticMoldableLoyal

Apprenticeships:Grow culture through relationshipsExpand your hiring abilitiesCreate next-generation expertise

Recommended Reading

To Create an Apprenticeship Program

Mentor > Team > Business OwnerSustainable RatioCulture over CurriculumIn the TrenchesPet ProjectMilestonesFeedback Loops

Mentor > Team > Business Owner

1. A mentor who is excited to work with a beginner

2. A team that is willing to incorporate a beginner

3. Business owners who are willing to allow beginners to participate

4. A champion to lay these foundations

Sustainable Ratio

Exceeding an overall 1:1 practitioner:apprentice ratio is A Bad Idea

Apprentices working with apprentices on Real Stuff is like planting pain

Some mentors will be able to handle more than one apprentice at a time

All mentors will need to take time off from mentoring

Be patient, don’t rush it

Culture over Curriculum

Unlearn the classroom-based education model

Don’t focus on curriculumDo focus on creating a beginner-friendly

culture Lunchtime study groups Lead by example: Ask the stupid questions

A learning-oriented culture takes pressure off your mentors

In the Trenches

Hands-on, real world learning is how apprenticeships have always worked

Apprentices should spend the majority of their time elbow-to-elbow with the team

Will be overwhelming at first, but after about 2 months, they should be contributing regularly

Pet Project

An independent projectA “Breakable Toy”Must be inherently interesting to the

apprenticeOften leads to tech specialty

Milestones

Periodic milestones force you to make the decision to hire, continue, or fail the apprentice

An oversight group of 4-8 people attend a “milestone meeting” to help make the decision

Expectations should be “knock my socks off” highTypical program is 6 months with 2-month

milestonesBe consistentUse your entry-level criteria for hiring

Milestone Meetings

Experience report from the trenchesPet project demoPet project code review10 minute presentation by the apprenticeRetrospectiveMake the hire/continue/fail decisionMentor communicates decision

Feedback Loops

Milestone-level: retrospectiveWeekly-level: mentor meetingDaily-level: pair programming, code reviews

Apprenticeship Program Ingredients

Mentor > Team > Business OwnerSustainable RatioCulture over CurriculumIn the TrenchesPet ProjectMilestonesFeedback Loops

Apprenticeship Internship

High commitment in both directions

Working toward employment

Strong mentoring component

Half a year or more

Temporary student worker

Typically during summer vacation

May have mentoring involved

A couple months

Um, we already have an internship program

Be a Mentor

Finding viable mentors tends to be the limiting factor when people are looking to start or expand their apprenticeship programs.

Thank Your Mentors

Visit http://apprentice.us and tell us about the people who helped you get here.

AND THANKS FOR YOUR TIME!

Q & A

by David H. Hoover@redsquirrel

Slides athttp://www.slideshare.net/redsquirrel/apprenticeship-programs