On the Job with Roslyn Robertson & Brian Wille

In Minnesota, workers can master 105 different occupations through nearly 300 paid apprenticeship programs throughout the state. Apprenticeships require a combination of on-the-job training and at least 144 hours a year of "related instruction." The shortest apprenticeship, truck driving, is 2,000 hours. The longest, pipe-fitting, is 10,000 hours. Most are in the 4,000 to 6,000 hour range. For more information, visit the website: www.dli.mn.gov/Appr.asp.

Roslyn Robertson is the Director of the Labor Standards and Apprenticeship Program for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. She oversees the sole agency with authority to register Minnesota apprenticeship programs that are recognized by the Federal Office of Apprenticeships.

Brian Wille is a Senior Apprenticeship Field Representative. His job is to promote and establish new apprenticeships, audit existing programs and make supervisory visits to ensure that apprentices are being trained in compliance with the terms of their apprenticeship agreements.

Is the apprenticeship system still relevant?

Robertson: There's a renewed commitment to promote apprenticeships, because the feedback we get is that individuals are walking into places of business not prepared to take on current needs of the employer community. Apprenticeship is a reliable training format that you can apply to someone walking in on day one, or to existing employees for succession or growth planning. The standards spell out what you'll learn, and you're rotated through the learning process. That results in a more well-rounded, well-prepared individual.

Are there any updates to the process?

Wille: Competency-based apprenticeships were approved by the federal government in 2008. We're just implementing them now in Minnesota. The new approach takes the "time served" approach and brings it up to date by letting individuals demonstrate competency more quickly.

Wille: We're also focusing on opening apprenticeship opportunities in IT and health care.

Is an apprenticeship a viable option for someone entering a second career, or is it just for people entering the work force?

Robertson: The federal apprenticeship regulations used to talk about "opportunities for young people." The 2008 changes removed the references to "young" and "youth" because apprenticeships provide opportunities for second, third, fourth and fifth careers.

There are careers that you can prepare for with a two-year college degree, versus an apprenticeship that might take four years to complete. Why choose the apprenticeship?

Robertson: The apprenticeship allows an individual to work while they learn [and] earn while they learn, and what they learn is directly related to what they do on the job. When I was in school, I worked as a bartender and I was studying management.

You need to have a job to get an apprenticeship, but sometimes you need to have completed an apprenticeship to get a job. Does that create a chicken-and-egg problem?

Robertson: You can't separate apprenticeship from employment.