TPMA is pleased to announce our recognition as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the United States Department of Labor, a distinction presented for promoting, expanding, and diversifying Registered Apprenticeships and with regard to our lead role in strengthening America’s workforce.
Apprenticeships in 2022 combine paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction to better prepare workers for highly skilled careers. Workers benefit from apprenticeships by receiving a skills-based education that prepares them for good-paying jobs, with the programs ultimately helping employers to recruit, build, and retain a highly skilled workforce, imperative now more than ever, contends Vicki Thompson, Senior Consultant at Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA), on the backdrop of America’s ‘Great Resignation’ workforce crisis.
“I’m genuinely excited that TPMA is recognized as a U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Ambassador,” she stated. “My grandfather was a member of the United Steelworkers of America, having worked for Republic Steel in Youngstown, Ohio. My father was a member of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Blue-collar blood runs through my veins, and so I understand the importance of traditional apprenticeship programs.”
Since 2015, TPMA has worked directly alongside organizations across the country in the arena of Pre-Apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships, with partnering organizations including however not limited to the Ohio Manufacturing Association, the Erie Regional Manufacturing Partnership, America Makes, the Arkansas Office of Apprenticeship and the Hope Training Academy.
In turn, the U.S. Department of Labor’s role is to safeguard the welfare of apprentices, ensure equality of access to apprenticeship programs, and provide integrated employment and training information to apprenticeship sponsors and the local employment and training community.
“Today, registered apprenticeship programs can be found in just about every occupation, but the same sound foundation of a registered apprenticeship program still exits – related instruction, on-the-job training, and an increase in wages for skills gained. A registered apprenticeship program can be a game-changer for an individual and their family; that in turn means educational growth of a community. With the increased attention that registered apprenticeships has been given, comes the opportunity for greater awareness that an apprenticeship certificate is as valuable as a traditional college degree. TPMA plans to use its ambassadorship to promote registered apprenticeship programs throughout the U.S.,” Thompson concluded.