In this episode of Work in Progress, we're talking about the important role apprenticeships play in preparing people for careers with good pay, benefits, and opportunities for advancement.

You might be surprised to learn that these amazing earn-and-learn opportunities – yes, you get a paycheck as you learn! – are not just in the skilled trades. They're in a growing number of diverse, in-demand industries.

John Colborn is the executive director of Apprenticeships for America and joins me in conversation. He makes a strong case for why apprenticeships are so valuable.

"An apprenticeship is a job. It's one of the attractions of apprenticeship. You are very much engaged. This is not a theoretical exercise. You're very much engaged in the workplace," he explains.

He adds, "An important feature of an apprenticeship is that there's mentorship involved. You have somebody in the workplace who is helping connect you to all those unwritten rules that are part of everybody's workplace, so that you can navigate those and have success there."

At the end of the apprenticeship, says Colborn, you have a connection to the company – your bosses and co-workers know you – and many people continue working for the company. It's one of the benefits that go with that apprenticeship experience.

We discuss how apprenticeships offer an alternative to a traditional college education, allowing people to earn a paycheck while learning on the job with a mentor. We also look at the other occupations beyond construction and the other skilled trades that are now using apprenticeships to develop their workforce, jobs like nursing and accounting.

Colborn also talks about how, despite progress, the U.S. continues to lag behind other countries in the number of people in apprenticeships. He says there is an opportunity to expand use of the training model and explains how. He adds that community colleges play an important role in connecting employers to this undeveloped talent.

You can listen to the entire conversation here, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find our podcasts on the Work in Progress YouTube channel.

Episode 348: John Colborn, executive director, Apprenticeships for AmericaHost & Executive Producer: Ramona Schindelheim, Editor-in-Chief, WorkingNationProducer: Larry BuhlTheme Music: Composed by Lee Rosevere and licensed under CC by 4Transcript: Download the transcript for this episode hereWork in Progress Podcast: Catch up on previous episodes here