Webinar: Prospective employees and employers encouraged to learn about benefits of apprenticeships

Ali Smith, chair of the Minority Business PartnershipAccording to the most recent data from Michigan’s Apprenticeship Data Dashboard, there are more than 19,000 active apprentices and more than 1,100 active apprenticeship programs statewide. In Region 5, in which Bay County is located, there are more than 1,300 active apprentices and nearly 70 active apprenticeship programs locally available.

“These are jobs like electricians, plumbers, cooks — and all within the Great Lakes Bay region,” says Ali Smith, chair of the newly-formed Minority Business Partnership, a program of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.

“There are other career opportunities besides paying for a high-cost degree.”

Apprenticeship opportunities in the Great Lakes Bay Region are the latest topic of discussion scheduled for an upcoming Minority Business Partnership webinar.

The Apprenticeship Benefits and Resources Webinar is scheduled for Feb. 17 from 2 to 3 p.m. Sheril Tarrant, director of Business Services and Community Relations for Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works!, will lead the event.

“We’re doing this webinar to get information out there about the opportunity for good-paying jobs without the debt associated with getting a degree,” Smith says.

The idea of getting on a career path that doesn’t require debt is one that Smith returns to often, saying that apprenticeships allow people to “learn and earn” at the same time.

He also notes that while apprenticeships are great opportunities for employees, they’re also great opportunities for employers. Smith encourages both prospective employees and employers to attend the webinar.

“Employees can improve their skills, grow their career opportunities, and increase their wages (with apprenticeships),” he says. “But there are benefits for employers, too, like highly-skilled employees, lower turnover rates, and a more diverse workforce.”

Visit the Minority Business Partnership online to register for the Apprenticeship Benefits and Resources Webinar today.

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