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Robert I. Lerman American University and Urban Institute

Robert I. Lerman American University and Urban Institute.

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Robert I. Lerman American University and Urban Institute

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  1. Robert I. Lerman American University and Urban Institute Apprenticeships and Community Colleges in the United States: Complements or Substitutes?International Network on Innovative ApprenticeshipAssuring the Acquisition of Expertise:Apprenticeship in the Modern EconomyBeijing, China, May 26 – 27, 2011

  2. Overview of U.S. Postsecondary Institutions for the Workforce • Apprenticeship plays a modest role • Only about 3-4% of inflow of workers • Colleges dominate post-secondary education • Many types of colleges, but three main groups • 4 year colleges offering BA degrees and above • 2 year community colleges, publicly financed, with Associates (AA) degrees—academic & occupation tracks • Private for-profit trade schools, 2 years but often less; schools range from large, national to small, local ones

  3. Scale of Programs • Enrollment as of Fall 2009 was • 12.9 million students in four-year colleges • 7.1 million in community colleges • 0.4 in private two-year colleges • substantial numbers in private colleges not reporting and with short programs • Less than .5 million apprentices

  4. Rising Share of Career Colleges • National Center for Education Statistics reports that 3,833 colleges of less than four years awarded 981,000career and technical credentials. For-prof!t schools accounted for at least 36 percent of these credentials • Actual figure is higher but data tracks only certain types of career colleges.

  5. Community College Tracks • An occupational certification through: 1) an associate’s degreein a specific field; 2) an academic certification, generally an associate of arts or associate of science degree, largely aimed at students will transfer to a four-year college; or 3) a certification based on a limited number of courses.

  6. The Community College Boom • Community colleges have an important place in expanding skills—evidence shows positive returns, to years and degrees, but size varies • But CC education is uneven and often falls short, partly because of weak links with employers, poor qualifications of entrants, minimal guidance, high costs, and now capacity constraints, crowded classrooms • Not comfortable for people who learn best by doing, in the workplace

  7. Majors in community college • Liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities (250,000), health professions 145,000 including 67,000 in registered nursing), business management, & marketing(100,000). • Placing health and business majors in the career clusters and categorizing the other majors, we find about half the degrees are in career-oriented areas

  8. Apprenticeships In the US • Skill preparation, but not mainly for youth • Registered apprenticeships were were about 27,000 registered apprenticeship sponsors training about 480,000 apprentices as of 2008, implying an average of about 18 apprentices per sponsor • They are highly concentrated in construction, energy, manufacturing, transportation and communication, and public administration occupations jumped between 2003 and 2007; significant share in the military • Many, unknown number in other apprenticeships

  9. Existing State of Collaboration • Community colleges well positioned to provide academic training but usually not the workplace training central to expertise • Many apprenticeship programs use community colleges for the classroom component • Certification is a key value for workers, firms • Both community colleges and apprentice programs offer occupational certification

  10. Complements / Substitutes • The patterns vary widely; some apprenticeship programs see no added value in an associates degree; others encourage workers to obtain degrees • Some community college officials show little appreciation for an apprenticeship certificate • Still, the prospects for additional collaboration are promising; federal grants are encouraging the two institutions to work together

  11. Apprenticeship Use of Community Colleges Varies by Occupations • Divide by construction—other occupations • 24 percent of apprentices in construction obtain instruction through community/technical colleges • 42 percent of other apprentices do so • Nearly all sponsors of automotive manufacturing and hospitality apprenticeships report using community or technical colleges, as do 61 percent of apprenticeships in the health care area • About half of sponsors provide their own instruction

  12. Other Collaboration By State • About 10% of apprentices report having an A.A. degree; another 15 percent report at least a B.A. • Washington State has above average apprentice program, subsidizes tuition at community colleges • Most sponsors use community colleges • In Florida, which provides some community college subsidies, only 20% of sponsors use these colleges

  13. Virginia Pattern is Typical • In Virginia, 12 of the 23 community colleges provide related instruction to apprentices. • Occupations covered include several construction trades, as well as computer technology, welding, and machinist, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of HVAC trades. • In most of the programs, the courses do count toward an associate’s degree or certificate • Tuition for apprentices is the standard rate for all students, usually paid paid by the employer.

  14. Barriers to Collaboration • An Arkansas program doesn’t use community college instructors because state law requires instructors to have different qualifications as master practitioners than most professors have • Apprentices in many programs see no need for the additional certification from community colleges • Many programs have full schools especially geared toward state licensing requirements—they see no need for an associates degree

  15. Many Programs Do Collaborate • Lineworkers in Michigan require workers to obtain associates degree along with apprentice credential • One reason is the program is not registered and thus is not certified with the U.S. Labor Department • Several community colleges provide college credit for skills developed at apprenticeships • Major auto companies have worked with community colleges to develop courses for auto repair technicians and apprenticeship training

  16. Case of Long-term Care Workers • Recently looked at the feasibility for estimating impacts of apprenticeship on long-term care workforce (nurses’ aides, etc.) • Effort to force community college component but it was considered too costly in light of the limited wage potential in this field • May see future partnerships even here

  17. Occupational Overlaps • Some but not a large overlap between apprenticeable fields and majors in community colleges • Job openings in occupations that are currently apprenticeable are large in fields where community college have few majors: • Construction (1.2 million) • Truck Drivers (0.7 million) • Auto Repair (0.5 million) • Welders, Repair, Machinists (0.4 million) • Corrections, Police, Fire (0.3 million)

  18. Current and Future Overlaps • Health professions, especially nursing, are key fields where occupational expertise is gained both through community college and apprenticeship programs • Computer and various business fields are now rarely taught through apprenticeships but could be in the future

  19. Comparative Effectiveness of Apprenticeship, Community College • No direct comparisons for the same occupations • Non-experimental evidence from Washington State based on method that matches workers on earnings before they enter one or another type of training • Includes workers who enter public job centers • The study tracked their earnings after training using administrative records drawn from the unemployment insurance system

  20. States, WIA Can Lead the Way • Bring together community colleges, firms, and workers as part of broad effort-use new CC grants • Meets various criteria—jointly designed with firms, basic skills with occupational training, transparent career pathways • Provide allocation to employers for education costs of program—perhaps fund 1 of each 4 apprentices if recruitment is at One-Stop • Insure employers can access occupation skill profiles

  21. South Carolina’s Story • Stimulated by the state chamber, the state began providing $1 million per year to expand apprenticeship—base is a technical college • Also, a $1,000 tax credit per apprentice per year • Effort so far has led to one new program per week, 50% increase in apprentices • Shows what can be done with close marketing • Cost per added apprentice is $3,600; present value of earnings gains at least $100,000 • Maryland starting new initiative

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