Labor Chief Says It’s No Longer Just A Path For Plumbers, Carpenters
BOSTON, NOV. 20, 2024…..Confronting worker shortages across health care, education and technology, state labor officials and business leaders on Wednesday lauded apprenticeship programs as a valuable model for driving talent pipelines and improving workplace diversity.
National Apprenticeship Week — with 2024 marking the initiative’s tenth year — has brought a flurry of events to the commonwealth, including a celebration hosted by the Massachusetts Apprenticeship Network, an offshoot of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
“When you think about apprenticeships, some may immediately think of your plumber, your electrician, your carpenter. And yes, that is true, and there’s a huge proven model, and their proven model helps to unlock more opportunities,” Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones said Wednesday at Suffolk University, as she touted more women and people of color joining the building trades.
She added, “We also know that this is a proven model that provides an even playing field when you’re looking at life sciences, technology, when you’re thinking about health care and the demands that we have for filling more opportunities for direct care workers.”
Jones this week visited Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 12 in Dorchester with undersecretary Josh Cutler. She attended a “girls in trade” event in Holyoke and toured the Metrica apprenticeship program in Northampton. She’s also announcing $3.2 million for apprenticeship grant funding, expected to support 29 organizations and place 514 apprentices, at Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute in Boston.
Eligible employers with registered apprenticeship programs can secure a state tax credit of up to $4,800 per apprentice. Apprenticeships offer longer-term opportunities compared to internships, and participants can gain upskilling or reskilling training while earning industry credentials.
Apprenticeship graduates saw their earnings increase nearly 50 percent when measured across a year before their program and a year after completing it, according to a recent study highlighted by Suffolk University President Marisa Kelly.
About 40 percent of apprentices at global technology firm CGI, which has Massachusetts-based employees, come from underrepresented communities. Thirty percent of apprentices are women, 20 percent are veterans or military spouses, and 41 percent were unemployed at 27 weeks or longer, said Brad MacDougall, director of consulting services at CGI’s New England business unit.
Kiran Puchakayala, now a consultant at CGI, said participating in the company’s apprenticeship program helped her return to the tech industry. After taking a career break, Puchakayala said she struggled to find a job, even though she had a computer science degree and worked several years as a software developer.
“My CGI apprenticeship journey has been consistently fulfilling because I gained hands-on experience working on different projects. I learned new technologies, earned some industry-relevant certifications, built new connections,” she said.
Cutler said the apprenticeship model can drive the transition to “skills-based hiring,” a practice that Gov. Maura Healey embraced through an executive order earlier this year. For job postings, Healey said her administration will focus on applicants’ skills, knowledge and abilities rather than their degrees.
“We’re trying to move in that direction, and this apprenticeship piece is a big part of that,” Cutler said. “Whether you’re getting your IT certificate, cybersecurity certificate or early education certificate, you know you can take that with you, and it’s a great boost to your career.”
