Our leaders are doing their part to improve how employees are hired and developed for future careers in the industry.
Apprenticeships work. We know it. Now they know it.
The Five Stars team jump-started the new year by hosting an Apprenticeship Summit for hotel leaders at Wake Tech’s Beltline Education Center – also known as the WakeWorks Apprenticeship Center. (It’s a cool facility. If they offer a tour, take it.)
Apprenticeships are “earn while you learn” opportunities. When a business establishes an apprenticeship for a certain occupation, they guarantee a wage increase as the apprentice masters certain skills within a certain timeframe. “You mean I don’t have to wait a full year to be considered for a raise?” Good question. No, you don’t! (Unless the timeframe is that long, but that’s pretty much unheard of.) And these tend to be significant pay jumps! And did you know that people who complete an apprenticeship program earn a credential equivalent to a 2- or 4- year college degree?
The Summit was moderated by our Program Coordinator Jacob Dolan and WakeWorks Director John Wojcik.
Everybody benefits from apprenticeship. Employees earn competitive wages while developing skills. Management gets a well-skilled worker trained to company-specific standards and who is ready for a professional career. Apprenticeships work. We know it. Now they know it.
Wake Tech has already developed several apprenticeships through its WakeWorks program: EMT, carpentry, plumbing, and even cell phone tower maintenance! Before partnering with us at Five Stars, hotels would have had to figure out how to do an apprenticeship by themselves which is pretty complicated. Now that we’ve introduced them to WakeWorks, they can get on with running their business while WakeWorks handles the labor-intensive process of developing the apprenticeships.
We are so thankful to have such an involved and dedicated group of employer partners.
At the end of the meeting, one HR manager said she was ready to start NOW. That’s the type of enthusiasm we like to see! It’s another indicator that shows how leaders are doing their part to improve how employees are hired and developed for future careers in the industry. Those of us on the Five Stars team are happy to have a role in it.