In today’s fast-paced economy, staying ahead means not only finding the right candidates — a tall order in itself these days — but also retaining, training and cultivating those hires into the skilled, loyal and reliable workforce your business needs to thrive.
Registered Apprenticeship programs administered by Arkansas’ Office of Skills Development (OSD), part of the Arkansas Department of Commerce, are a golden opportunity for businesses in Arkansas to overcome recruiting challenges and hire motivated, highly-trained workers.
Registered Apprenticeship
Registered Apprenticeship is Future Proofing Your Business:
Customized
Apprenticeship programs are industry-driven and designed by you, so the program meets your specific requirements, equipment, technology, and culture
Talent Pipeline
Apprenticeships are an established method of maintaining a pool of skilled talent. They also reduce the cost of recruitment.
Increased Productivity
Apprenticeship programs combine both classroom instruction and hands-on application. That means, apprentices learn your equipment and methods, and become productive quickly.
Increased Retention
Statistics show that 94% of apprentices remain employed with the company when training is complete.
Federal & State Incentives
Funding incentives like tax breaks and program cost reimbursement are available to companies hosting apprenticeship programs.
How to start a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) in your business?
Businesses can easily start and maintain one or more Registered Apprenticeship Programs to train workers. Getting started is simple (see below) and OSD is ready to help you get your program off the ground.
- Contact OSD
Contact the OSD and our elite team of apprenticeship experts can assist you in getting started. - Curriculum Design & Development
The US Dept. of Labor (USDOL) has over 1,400 approved program plans that companies can use, customizing to your company’s unique needs while conforming to professional industry standards. OSD can help you find the a plan and help you in the customization process. - Plan & Curriculum Consensus
USDOL and the Office of Apprenticeship work with your company to arrive at a consensus regarding your apprenticeship program and its implementation - Agreement
Once all parties agree, the USDOL sends the final agreement to the company for signatures. - Funding Incentives
Once agreements are signed, the program is ready for implementation. At this point, USDOL and OSD representatives will present a variety of funding incentives for which the company now qualifies.
Check out the Apprenticeship for Businesses brochure.
Upskilling Current Workers
Industry newcomers are not the only ones suited for an apprenticeship. Current employees seeking advancement, needing additional skills and knowledge, and those re-skilling for a new career can all benefit from Registered Apprenticeship. If you have a great employee who needs additional skills to move to the next level, consider a Registered Apprenticeship Program for providing the on-the-job and technical training they need to advance.
Registered Apprenticeship Programs are Effective Training Models in a Wide Array of Industry Sectors
You may have never before considered a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) in your business sector; however, nearly every industry sector can benefit from RAP. In many cases, a RAP can reduce or even replace the need for a four-year degree in industries such as:
- Information Technology
- Cyber Security
- Hospitality
- Energy
- Construction
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Automotive Technology
- Healthcare
- Transportation
Other Useful Resources
ADVANTAGE: Arkansas Registered Apprenticeship Toolkit
US DOL Approved Occupations List
For more information contact a Registered Apprenticeship expert
with the Office of Skills Development: (501) 683-1152.