MTIA Workforce Development

"Strengthen our Nation's workforce with demand-driven solutions"

Registered Apprenticeship is expanding into new and emerging industries such as healthcare. The apprenticeship model can be an effective system for addressing human resource issues and skill shortages by providing the expertise and knowledge individuals need to do their jobs effectively and advance in their careers. This model allows for flexible competency-based training that enables apprentices to move at their own pace, benchmark achievements, and build a portfolio of skills.

The strategy is to create a continuum of career advancement opportunities including career credentialing.

Registered Apprenticeship offers industry-driven training. Standards are set that create the structure of the learning program; the sponsors determine the content. In 2006 the Department of Labor approved medical transcription as an apprenticed occupation, and the Standards for this program have been approved as well. With the approval process complete, this MTIA-sponsored program has moved toward accepting applications for sponsoring employers, educators, and apprentices.

Benefits to Employers

• Greater competence of employees
• Reduced turnover rates
• Greater employee retention
• Lower investment in recruitment
• Higher productivity
• Improved quality of patient care documentation

Benefits to Apprentices

• Nationally recognized and portable certificates
• Improved skills and competencies
• Increased wages as a result of mastered competencies
• Career advancement

Goals of OATELS (the Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services) are:

• To expand access to the apprenticeship system to employers, particularly those representing new and emerging industries.
• To strengthen system linkages with the workforce investment and educational systems.
• To increase the number and diversity of apprentices.
• To enhance the quality of apprenticeship programs.

Goals of the Registered Apprenticeship system:

• Develop and implement a targeted, coordinated outreach effort.
• Promote career ladders as a valuable component of Registered Apprenticeship and explore ways to extend them.
• Conduct a targeted outreach effort and promote the sharing of recruitment tactics that lead to increased participation of women and minorities.
• Facilitate the development of partnerships between Registered Apprenticeship programs and the education and workforce investment systems and other training programs.

Links

www.doleta.gov
www.doleta.gov/jobseeker/apprent.cfm/