By Adam Vitcavage
As the calendar turns to November, the spotlight shines on National Apprenticeship Week, commencing on November 13. During this period, a collective of policymakers, generous funders, invaluable partners, and influential media outlets converge to illuminate the remarkable world of apprenticeships. Now is your moment to seize this opportunity and shed light on your own endeavors, while championing the life-changing potential of youth apprenticeship.
Organizations like CareerWise, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the State of Colorado’s Office of the Future of Work Apprenticeship Colorado have created toolkits to help organizations promote the work they have done for youth apprenticeship throughout the year, including example social media posts, event ideas that can take place any time of the year, and profile templates that highlight the amazing young employees in your programs.
Social media is one of the quickest and wide reaching ways organizations can spread their message. Besides an organization’s website, social ranks as one of the primary sources individuals frequently turn to when seeking information. Posts kicking off National Apprenticeship week followed by a steady stream of informational posts using hashtags like #EarnWhileYouLearn are simple and digestible ways to promote youth apprenticeship programs.
This week is also an ideal time to highlight apprentices who have worked hard all year with spotlights and profiles that call attention to their tangible skills and praise from supervisors. Plug and play posts created feature easy-to-use displays that can quickly show the influence an apprenticeship can have on a young adult’s life.
Events are another way to generate buzz around your youth apprenticeship program. The USDOL has provided templates for events that help organizations shape how they run and promote their own events by providing key messaging, timelines, and templates. Some of the events and activities they recommend include open houses for career seekers, community forums, apprentice graduations, business open houses, high school career fairs, among other ideas.
Regardless of how an organization chooses to highlight their efforts in reshaping and building youth apprenticeship programs, it is vital to remember that they’re their own best advocate. They know exactly what they have to offer and National Apprenticeship Week is the ideal time to promote themselves and using these toolkits is a great way to help do that.