Editorial: Apprenticeship could solve workforce, student loan problems

As school years are ending and students are graduating, there is a lot of moving on to start new phases of life.

The focus for that tends to be on starting college. That’s an important step and helps prepare the next generation of doctors and lawyers, teachers and engineers.

But we need more than just those college-­educated professionals to make the world turn.

Pennsylvania — like most states — is still flush with open job opportunities across industries. From the most basic entry-level retail and food service positions on up, the openings are there.

Going to work directly after graduation is not just about manning a cash register or flipping burgers and shouldn’t be dismissed as such.

There is also a desperate need for skilled labor. Industries such as construction and manufacturing have had needs that predate the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the job market. Positions such as machinists, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and more are in high demand in communities statewide.

But how do you become skilled in these jobs if you didn’t opt for a career and technical education in high school? What if you didn’t know that was something you might be interested in until now? What if you don’t want to pay to go to a technical school for something you haven’t done yet?

These kinds of questions could keep graduates or adults who have been out of school for a few years from trying a new and potentially lucrative profession. Not answering those questions is what keeps the positions vacant.

The solution could be an old one: apprenticeship.

“Apprenticeships overcome these challenges through comprehensive ‘up-skilling’ of employees while bolstering recruiting and retention efforts to further close the skills gap,” said Chris Ray, executive director of workforce development at the Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Apprenticeship is a way for people to learn by doing. It helps companies by allowing them to train people for exactly what they need. It helps the apprentices by having an education that is more hands-on than conceptual and with a paycheck instead of looming student loan debt.

For the state, the win is in the marriage of needs creating the kind of deep workforce attractive to companies looking to build or relocate.

There are almost 1,600 apprenticeship programs registered with Pennsylvania CareerLink. Almost 17,000 apprentices are actively engaged.

More are needed on both sides. Instead of asking for entry-level employees with years of experience — a senseless opposite — companies should look at their real needs and see how they could build the perfect employee from scratch.

And would-be workers — especially high school students making plans for their futures — need to look outside the college box and consider the opportunities that might be available to find the jobs of their dreams.