Category: Latitudes

Apprenticeship program success stories help us promote the tremendous value that these programs bring to employers, employees, and job seekers. Keep reading below for the answers from a recent success story: a Senior Training Specialist at Westlake.

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William Watson had not needed to use Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) employment services for a while.  After the company he worked for closed its local location, he was out of a job and visited the Meridian WIN Job Center to get assistance with his search.  The Veteran Client visited our center on July 19, 2022. 

After completing the military attestation form and being deemed eligible for Disabled Veterans Outreach Program services by frontline staff, the DVOP, Lakisha Davis and customer sat down to discuss our approach.

Although he was willing to take any job, we agreed he deserved a position which would benefit from his skills and experience identified during his initial assessment.  Our first priority was to edit his resume to capture his years of military and civilian experience.

Mr. Watson served in the U.S. Navy from December 1981 through December 1983. His last position was Manager at Save-A-Lot Grocery which ended July 18, 2022. We took his military background and management experience in account and we created an Individual Employment Plan (IEP) to fit his financial needs as well as his responsibilities as a caregiver. His current barrier to employment was ex-offender, and we worked around his schedule as a caregiver for his ill mother. 

After completing his IEP, we reviewed his resume for the following:

• Accuracy of information on resume which includes dates, locations, and job duties
• Verify proper format is being used
• Ensure targeted keywords were included for desired industries and specific job descriptions
• Maximize space to keep resume to 2-page minimum

With a completed resume, Mr. Watson began his job search.  The DVOP, Ms. Davis, sent him emails with possible job leads as well as he visited the center to search.  He informed me he was going to Cash Savers (a local grocery store) to apply as well.  Upon arrival to the grocery store, with resume in hand, he asked to speak with the store manager.  Mr. Watson was hired on the spot on July 25, 2022. 

He was happy to inform me of his new employment, and during the monthly check-ins with the DVOP, he expressed how much he enjoys his newfound job.

As we can see from Mr. Watson, your resume is your business card when seeking employment. It’s important to identify the industry you are targeting, the jobs you want to apply for, and the desired salary. By doing what it takes, you can craft a resume that speaks to your skills and benefits to a company even before the interview.

Apprenticeship program success stories help us promote the tremendous value that these programs bring to employers, employees, and job seekers. Keep reading below for the answers from a recent success story: a Teach Assistant Apprentice from our RA Partner School of Champion.

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Apprenticeship program success stories help us promote the tremendous value that these programs bring to employers, employees, and job seekers. Keep reading below for the answers from a recent success story from the owner of AA Calibration, Mr. White.

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Apprenticeship program success stories help us promote the tremendous value that these programs bring to employers, employees, and job seekers. Keep reading below for the answers from a recent success story: a new LPN apprentice from the new RA program at Singing River.

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In 2006, as an apprentice construction craft laborer in Milwaukee, I helped build one of the I-43 underpasses on Fond Du Lac Avenue. The bridge is well known throughout Wisconsin for the murals that adorn it, including one that tells the story of a man named Joshua Glover. Glover, a Black man enslaved in Missouri, escaped from slavery in 1852 and made his way to Wisconsin, a free state. Two years later, he was caught and arrested under the Fugitive Slave Act, which meant a return to slavery, a return to the South for trial, or one of many worse fates. Glover was being held at the Milwaukee County Jailhouse when, as the mural depicts, abolitionists from all around southeastern Wisconsin, led by a man named Sherman Booth, stormed the jail and helped Glover escape to the Underground Railroad. He eventually found freedom in Canada.

This story of a Black man achieving freedom, displayed on the side of a bridge that this Black man constructed, makes me proud of Wisconsin and strengthens my passion for advancing the promise of Registered Apprenticeship. But as we celebrate Black History Month, this story serves as a lingering reminder of the challenges people of color still have today. Glover sought a pathway to freedom; today’s Black learners and workers seek, as I did, pathways to a family-sustaining career with livable wages. Today’s obstacles, however, are far more insidious and disguised, and can impact people’s access to opportunities to good jobs, good wages, and the economic mobility and dignity that accompany these opportunities. Apprenticeship has expanded in recent years to new industries and occupations, and now includes a broader, more diverse group of employers and apprentices. But the bias (or implicit bias) that pervades our greater culture plays out in the apprenticeship system, too.

We have a unique opportunity to focus on these challenges by implementing purposeful and intentional policies and practices to make a difference—and to track our progress. Many employers, labor unions, sponsors, and other stakeholders are already doing this, but we need to encourage many more to examine their practices and consider more intentional recruitment, hiring, and advancement practices to reflect the demographics of their communities and to increase access and opportunities for all Americans.

A year ago, while working as the state director of apprenticeship in Wisconsin, I joined a JFF webinar to talk about race and Registered Apprenticeship. At that time, many institutions were undergoing a racial reckoning after George Floyd’s murder, and we had a lively discussion about how important it is for employers to begin to be honest and open with themselves while looking in their organizations and asking how they can do diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) better. This conversation led to one realization: the nation’s top workforce program needed to change.

Today, I’m leading a new and important project at JFF as director of our National Innovation Hub for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Registered Apprenticeship, where we and a range of partners will be working hard to increase equitable opportunities and outcomes in apprenticeship for all.

As of this month, the overall Black workers’ unemployment rate is double the white unemployment rate. When we narrow the focus to apprenticeship, we see that Black apprentices remain statistically underrepresented, making up just 10.7 percent of new apprentices nationwide while accounting for 12.4 percent of the population.

While 10.7 percent meets and exceeds affirmative action standards for apprenticeship programs, a closer look reveals that completion rates for Black apprentices are significantly lower than for any other race or ethnicity, and this drives down overall participation.

When Black apprentices do complete the program, their average hourly wages at $26.02 are lower than the wages for members of any other racial or ethnic group. For women, the average hourly wages at completion are even lower at $22.99, with the average hourly wage at completion for Black women even less than $22.99.

This is not just a color-of-your-skin problem. These barriers to access, opportunity, and equity also impact women, people with disabilities, people with criminal records, and other groups who are underrepresented in success throughout our society. Wage disparities and occupational segregation cluster many people—including people of color, women of all backgrounds, and other unrepresented folks—in the lower-rung jobs of apprenticeships.

Employers must look at these disparities as they work to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within their companies and apprenticeship programs. When it comes to hiring, are they recruiting diverse workers deeply from the communities they serve? Are they reaching out to HBCUs to attract new and untapped talent? Are their hiring practices conducive to attracting or retaining Black people, women of all backgrounds, and others who are inadequately represented in apprenticeship?

Hiring alone isn’t enough, either. Employers need to look at their company culture, policies for advancement and promotion, and wage distribution to ensure they are not perpetuating the problems. Do they create a welcoming environment for people from other countries, or other zip codes? Are they providing upskilling and advancement opportunities to all workers in a fair and unbiased manner? A year ago, at that webinar, I heard many employers and partners promise to take action to build DEIA in apprenticeship. Today, as the director of JFF’s new National Innovation Hub for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Registered Apprenticeship, I’m asking them to follow through—with our help.

Employers who are interested in taking this step can apply for direct support from JFF or one of our Innovation Hub partners:

• The Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding
• Apprenticeship Carolina
• The Center for Minority Serving Institutions at Rutgers University (CMSI)
• Chicago Women in the Trades (CWIT)
• Donna Lenhoff Associates, EEO law firm
• The Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts, Boston
• Intelligent Partnerships (IP), inclusion design consultants
• OneTen
• UnidosUS

Employers can also make their commitments public by signing the Business Pledge to Advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Registered Apprenticeship.

My passion for advancing the promise of apprenticeship comes from my own personal experience as a craft laborer, and my belief in the need for diversity, equity, inclusion, and access comes from my appreciation for people like Joshua Glover, whose story inspires me and my colleagues at JFF to remember the challenges from the past as we look toward strengthening the future. The nation’s apprenticeship system can do for so many what it did for me: provide a terrific career with good wages. During this Black History Month, let’s commit ourselves again to giving all American workers the access and opportunities to learn and advance in the world of work through the promise of Registered Apprenticeship.

A $200,000 grant at East Mississippi Community College is expected to benefit local industries. The school will use the money for training to improve the skills of workers already employed at manufacturing companies. An apprenticeship program at East Mississippi Community College will allow businesses to get their employees in-class training to improve or speed up their work on the job.

The school’s WIOA Director of Career Services, Greta Miller, said EMCC stands ready to help area workers brush up on their work skills. “Our students need to work and they need to work quickly and often times they have to choose between work or training or school and so what we’re trying to do is find different path ways for people to do both,” said Miller.

EMCC was awarded the grant in early August and launched the program on September 1, 2021. The next step it getting companies to partner with them.

“Partnerships are really unlimited depending on what our employers need. A big focus of ours for this grant is trying to help our employers that have current employees, but they need a little additional training to upskill and go on to the next stage of their career,” said Miller.

Miller said the grant money can be used in a variety of ways for employees coming to expand their knowledge of their job. “The Mississippi Apprenticeship program actually gives us a good bit of flexibility to take care of what people might need. We will potentially help people with tuition, we can help them with wrap-around services which could be child care it could be even fuel cards or something like that it really is person dependent,” said Miller.

Businesses big or small are welcome to partner with the college and take their workers to the next level in their careers. This not only helps the company and school but the student/employee as well. “From an employee perspective, it can be a valuable training that it really doubles up and helps drive some points home that maybe you might not remember if your job comes six months after the training or after you’ve learned something,” said Miller.

Any business in the surrounding six counties is encouraged to reach out to EMCC by calling Greta Miller at (662)-243-2659.

LaShonda Barnes joined the MAP team on November 16, 2021 as an Apprenticeship Expansion Specialist. Her target area for apprenticeship expansion will be the Mississippi Delta region. This area’s key industries consist of agriculture and manufacturing. She will work diligently to collaborate with other workforce entities in the region such as the local Workforce Development Board, area community colleges and universities, and the local chambers of commerce.

LaShonda comes to MAP from the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services (MDRS) where she worked as a Business Development Representative. In this capacity, she was able to successfully establish relationships with various businesses in Hinds and Warren Counties. Through these relationships, she was able to secure employment opportunities for Mississippians with disabilities. Prior to her work as a Business Development Representative, LaShonda served as District Manager with MDRS’ Office of Special Disability Programs.  In this role, she led a staff of case managers and assistants to provide services that allowed Mississippians who were at risk of nursing home placement with services to ensure their ability to live safely and independently in their homes and communities. In total LaShonda brings to MAP nearly 10 years of experience in state government.

LaShonda believes apprenticeship programs add to a vibrant workforce development culture in Mississippi by its ability to provide a more diverse workforce.  Having had prior experience working with an underserved population, LaShonda hopes to use this experience to positively impact those populations, specifically people with disabilities. She plans to provide more access to the workforce through apprenticeships by establishing apprenticeships that are inclusively designed to better accommodate individuals with disabilities. She hopes to collaborate with MDRS to help meet this goal. Furthermore, LaShonda hopes to bring increased awareness of apprenticeships to break down misconceptions and the stigmas that often surround apprenticeships through public engagement.

Her passion for serving others and drive to make a difference makes her an excellent addition to the MAP team. More than anything, LaShonda looks forward to being able to give someone, who likely otherwise would not have an opportunity, the chance to achieve more through apprenticeships.

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On behalf of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES), I proudly take this opportunity to salute those participating in National Apprenticeship Week 2021, as we celebrate finding new ways to build the future of workforce in the nation. 

As a leading state workforce agency in Mississippi, MDES joins with the Apprenticeship community in promoting the benefits of Apprenticeship.

MDES houses the MDES Office of Apprenticeship and the Mississippi Apprenticeship Program; therefore, facilitating Apprenticeship partnerships through our community colleges, businesses, and industries is at the forefront of our objective and critical to our mission.

In closing, thank you to the Mississippi Apprenticeship Program, our community college sponsors, and the Mississippi companies participating in Registered Apprenticeship programs around the state. May you continue to progress and see increases in career achievements and development. As we move closer to the year 2022, collectively, we will ensure that Apprenticeships, locally and nationally, remain constant in the transformation from jobs to future careers.

Congratulations on your success!

Robin Stewart, MDES

Robin Stewart serves as Interim Executive Director for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES). She has over 30 years of experience working at MDES. Her previous experience at MDES includes serving as Deputy Executive Director of Workforce Programs and Services, Director of the Office of Job Connections, Area Director, and WIN Job Center Manager. Stewart attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Administration.

Brittany Crews with Crews, Ferrell, and Associates Inc., and Brittany Morris, Apprenticeship State Expansion Specialist at The Mississippi Apprenticeship Program (MAP), speak on their collaboration, and an exciting new apprenticeship opportunity.   

“Our partnership with MAP began in August of 2021,” Crews says. “ MAP has helped us develop our curriculum and standards for each craft that we hire and train. MAP has created opportunities not only for partnerships but also for developing coursework and building a solid foundation for our training program.” 

MAP also assisted with implementing and creating the new Registered Apprenticeship (RA) program, in a five-stage plan that included exploring work process training, reviewing technical instruction, and determining what occupations to employ in the program to ensure maximum employee preparedness and retention. Brittany Morris worked directly with Crews on this plan.

“It is important as a specialist to help the company develop their RA program by identifying the occupation and its skillset needed on the job site,” Morris says. “In a cohesive manner, MAP works with the company to seek their long-term goals of apprenticeship, determine the program’s payment structure and wage progression, and also determine how classroom and on-the-job training will be delivered based upon the model of apprenticeship.”

With MAP’s assistance, Crews was able to launch their RA program within a month’s time. Focused on building talent along the Gulf Coast, the program offers on-the-job training and classroom instruction to participants with job skills focused on providing labor to shipyards along the Gulf Coast along with construction and maintenance. The program is unique in that it provides support for non-traditional students such as individuals who were formerly incarcerated. 

“Our RA program provides on-the-job training plus classroom instruction utilizing NCCER’s curriculum,” Crews says. “We hire and train people from all backgrounds of life. To help reduce recidivism along the Gulf Coast, we focus many of our resources on hiring and training formerly incarcerated individuals. In partnership with nonprofits such as Planting Healing, we can assist our participants in receiving additional services such as mentoring, records sealing or expungement, and treatment for addiction.”

Participants can also earn income while completing their coursework, obtain college credit hours, or receive financial aid for related instruction if partnered with a community college. There are also resources available for participants in need of paid transportation or daycare.

“Related instruction can be offered through partnerships with community colleges such as MGCCC, which allows participants to apply for financial aid. The curriculum we use for our RA program can be transferred for 30 credit hours toward a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Professional Trades Administration at Capitol Technology University,” Crews says. 

“Participants can apply to our RA program with no experience or transfer a skill set or coursework toward earning their apprenticeship faster,” Crews continues.“Depending on the participant’s level of experience and progression in the program, pay ranges from $10-$19.85 per hour.”

The education, resources, and services provided by Crews’ RA program work to increase the number of skilled workers around the coast, while also providing long-term employment for apprentices. Crews hopes to continue to support participants deemed to be “at-risk” due to socioeconomic barriers and looks forward to creating more partnerships with nonprofits and organizations that can supply additional resources for this demographic. 
For more information about the program, visit www.ShipyardLabor.com or call (228) 222-4820. Interested in creating an apprenticeship program for your business? Visit our website to get started.