CI-Led Apprenticeship Program Turns 5
Date postedDecember 1, 2022
In 2015, through our leadership role with the Manufacturing Alliance of New York State, the Council of Industry was working in a variety of ways to address the growing skills gap in manufacturing. We pursued an idea to transform the New York State Department of Labor Apprentice program and make it more accessible to small manufacturers and their employees across the state. The idea that we carried forward was for the state to support organizations, like the Council of Industry and our sister associations, that have long standing relationships with manufacturers to act as intermediaries between the state program and those manufacturers. A few leaders at the Department of Labor and some key senators bought into this idea and carried it forward.
In a few short years, the Manufacturing Intermediary Apprentice Program (MIAP) has become an integral part of our Regional manufacturing workforce development strategy – bringing together employers with community colleges and High Schools, strengthening recruiting and building worker pipelines.
"There were so many elements that went into the program, and it's fulfilling to see something come from nothing," says Johnnieanne Hansen, Vice President of Operations & Workforce Development. "All the hard work that the Council put in, and the efforts we made with our community college partners and early adopters and first round of apprentices was worth it because we made it to this point."
Moving forward, the Council looks forward to expanding to new members, while continuing to support those with graduated apprentices. Hansen explain's the Council's interest in building internal pipelines of apprentices with a pre-established program. "Being able to renew our agreement with the Department of Labor and acknowledge this 5-year milestone allows us to expand the pipeline and continue to support these companies," Hansen says.