Week of events shines spotlight on apprenticeships in New Hampshire

The ApprenticeshipNH program, an initiative run by the Community College System of New Hampshire, is working with three organizations, including Associated Builders and Contractors of New Hampshire and Vermont and the Home Builders Association of New Hampshire, in a bid to promote its efforts to ease the workforce strains felt by employers in the state.

The effort, which also is being aided by the New Hampshire Association of Insurance Agents, comes during National Apprenticeship Week. Throughout the week, the program features daily content from five sectors – construction, health care, manufacturing, automotive technology and business and finance –

that includes interviews with both businesses and apprentices and articles about Registered Apprenticeships in New Hampshire and national programs.

“Since ApprenticeshipNH launched in 2017, the program has been widely successful and beneficial to everyone involved,” said Tracey Jackson, ApprenticeshipNH grant manager. “In a challenging year, we were able to assist 31 New Hampshire businesses across the state to enroll 166 individuals in apprenticeship programs. We are excited to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week with events that offer unique opportunities for employers, educators, community members and workforce development professionals to hear about how the program is evolving and solving New Hampshire’s workforce puzzle.”

She said that Registered Apprenticeships are a proven solution for businesses with workforce shortages to hire and retain workers while acting as an opportunity for jobseekers to earn immediate employment, steadily increase wages and develop new skills in high-demand fields. The program focuses on opportunities within the advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, biomedical technology, business and finance, construction and infrastructure, health care, hospitality and information technology sectors.

With funding from federal grants, ApprenticeshipNH develops partnerships between NH’s seven community colleges and local employers within key sectors of the state’s economy while also providing support in the recruitment of apprentices for high-demand career opportunities. The addition of the ApprenticeshipNH-High School team is proving to play an integral role in the development of a talent pipeline by connecting sponsors with high school students through a pre-apprenticeship to Registered Apprenticeship pathway, said Anne Banks, Apprenticeship-NH High School grant manager.

“Our high school programs start conversations early with students to begin thinking about their future and the development of workforce initiatives in the community,” Banks said.

The one-hour virtual event on Friday will celebrate the accomplishments of the ApprenticeshipNH initiative and recognize businesses, apprentices, community organizations and education partners. The event will also feature a panel discussion with representatives who will connect the pieces to solving workforce issues and discuss ways to find, recruit and help fund apprentices.

You can opt in for National Apprenticeship Week daily emails,. To attend the Friday celebration, click here.