For EDUCATORS
A guide to Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship in Maine for guidance and career counselors, co-op instructors, work based learning coordinators, and other educators
Apprenticeship in a Nutshell
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The Maine Apprenticeship Program (MAP) is a training program that combines paid, on-the-job training with related college or other post-secondary coursework.
Overview of Apprenticeship Programs
Apprenticeship combines post-secondary education with full time work, which includes valuable on-the-job training. Apprenticeship programs can be sponsored by employers, employer associations, or labor/management groups that can hire and train in a working situation.
Employment is the most basic component of Apprenticeship. There is no “on-the-job training” without a job, and this training represents about 90% of the program. The only eligibility criteria for Apprenticeship are that a student has a high school diploma or GED and is at least 16 years old.
Apprenticeship is an innovative, yet time-tested way for your students to receive essential on-the-job training while being paid and to further their education by enrolling in college credit courses once they have graduated from high school. In addition, The Maine Apprenticeship Program may reimburse Apprentices up to 50% of the cost of their tuition.
The length of an Apprenticeship can vary depending on the occupation, but typically ranges from one year (2,000 hours) to five years (10,000 hours).
Pre-Apprenticeship
During their junior and/or senior years of high school, students have the chance to work part-time in an occupation of their choosing as a registered Pre-Apprentice. Pre-Apprenticeship is an excellent opportunity for high schoolers to pick up indispensable skills to jumpstart successful careers.
The occupations included in the Pre-Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Programs require a range of diverse skills, knowledge, maturity, and independence of judgment.
Your role as an educator
The Maine Apprenticeship Program would like to form partnerships with Guidance departments, Co-op staff, Work Based Learning Programs, and other job training staff.
- You are instrumental in identifying interested and qualified students for MAP and recommending students for the Pre-Apprenticeship Program via Work Based Learning Coordinators, Co-Op, or Job training staff.
- Your involvement is extremely important because students need advising and recommendations about course selection and post-secondary planning.
How you can help students interested in Apprenticeship
- Ensure a plan for graduation is in place. The student must be on track for graduation to participate in a Pre-Apprenticeship program.
- Monitor the student’s activities, including on-the-job training and the required related instruction.
- Call for information or assistance. You can contact your local Maine CareerCenter and ask to speak with the Apprenticeship Representative, or you can contact the Director of Apprenticeship Standards, Gene Ellis. Remember that there are people to help you.
- Review the apprenticeable occupation list with the students. Over 1,000 occupations fit under the Apprenticeship training model so there is bound to be something for everyone.
- Visit the Apprenticeship sponsor (employer) list available on our website. This listing of registered program sponsors does not signify they are taking applications for Apprenticeship or employment. It is a starting place to see, which companies in your area have a registered Apprenticeship program. The student must have a job with an Apprenticeship program sponsor to participate.
- Contact the sponsor to inquire about Apprenticeship opportunities and suggest hiring an Apprentice. For a student to work in an Apprenticeship program, the sponsor’s company must be registered with The Maine Apprenticeship Program.
- Note: If a company does not have a registered Apprenticeship program, offer to help in the development. Your local CareerCenter’s Apprenticeship Representative or the Director of Apprenticeship Standards can also offer assistance.
- Assist the student and company with filling out the Apprenticeship Agreement
- Submit the Apprenticeship Agreement to the Apprenticeship Representative at your local Maine CareerCenter or the Director of Apprenticeship Standards to complete the registration.
How Apprenticeship benefits students and schools
Apprenticeship can benefit your students and your school! Apprenticeships lead to well-paying careers. Students can earn while they learn and have a guaranteed career upon high school graduation.
Apprenticeship programs also benefit schools by:
- Expanding the curriculum and learning capabilities of secondary and post-secondary units
- Increasing educational options by providing students with a seamless transition from high school to a career
- Boosting student interest and retention
- Providing you with opportunities to alter/improve curriculum to meet employer standards
- Connecting schools with businesses within your community
- Providing a pathway to other training opportunities
- Making schools like yours a key component in economic development
What is related instruction?
Related instruction includes classroom and other forms of instruction and theory that reinforce on-the-job training as part of Apprenticeships taking place post-high school. The related instruction can be during working or non-working hours and is usually about 144 hours per year. There is no requirement of related instruction for Pre-Apprentices because they are still completing their high school coursework.
Who provides related instruction?
It all depends on the sponsor's preferences, needs, and the availability of providers, but the following list provides a non-exhaustive list of related instruction sources.
- The sponsor through:
- Classroom training that the company provides
- Home study courses that they administer
- A combination of the two above methods
- Equipment vendors
- High school ATE departments, for high school students only
- Area technical schools
- Community colleges
- A combination of any or all of the methods mentioned above.
RESOURCES
America's Job Bank
An electronic labor exchange that provides job seekers and employers a marketplace connect online at no cost to them
Youth Build
A youth and community development program that addresses core issues facing low-income communities
Job Corps
A no-cost education and vocational training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor
Business, Trade and Technical Schools
Searchable vocational school database and career training resources
Career One Stop
A career-oriented federal-state partnership web portal
America's Service Locator
Includes a searchable database of service providers for job training, education opportunities, and other services
FirstGov for Workers
A one-stop federal site for career information
America's Career InfoNet
Employment trends, job training requirements and more
