Page 20 - Skills - 2024

GETTING SKILLS
apprentices through the first nine months of 2023 were in industries other than construction, according to the New York State Department of Labor.
Chapin credits several government initiatives that
are helping to create new apprenticeship opportunities
in Westchester, particularly Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent announcement of a $45 million apprenticeship and pre- apprenticeship initiative to train job seekers who wish to enter the clean energy industry. Jobs in wind, solar, and geothermal energy are expected to grow a great deal here in the coming years. (For more about job opportunities in Westchester’s clean energy industry, see p. 31.)
In addition, the federal government’s Department of Labor just made a second round of $200 million in grants to help fund and expand registered apprenticeship programs in sectors as diverse as cybersecurity, early childhood care, mental healthcare jobs, hospitality, and supply chain logistics.
“In the past three years, it has become a job-seeker job market, forcing employers to become more creative and more worker-friendly. With that, workers have gained more flexibility and better benefits as employers struggle to fill positions that remain open and unfilled for a long time,
so they are using all resources and strategies to fill those jobs,” comments Chapin. That includes apprenticeships. Today’s apprenticeship learning opportunities can happen with a hands-on approach in fields like construction or direct patient care, or they can take a more hybrid or virtual approach for fields such as IT or programming.
Many of today’s apprentices are first-generation Americans and are looking for employment opportunities that are offered locally. “They want apprenticeships
in the region that offer job stability and they want to
stay anchored locally, which is great for the county,”
says Chapin. Drapeau echoes Chapin’s comments and says there is currently a record number of attendees
now in apprenticeship programs in fields as diverse as construction, manufacturing, and urban forestry — an apprenticeship program run by Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES. With continued excitement about these opportunities and expansion into other sectors, apprenticeships are sure to remain a popular option for young adults hoping to build a career in the county.
Many apprenticeships are run through local unions, and there are other benefits to
being part of a union
too. Learn more about Westchester County unions by scanning the QR code.
Apprenticeships provide a chance for job seekers of any age to acquire real-world experience in a trade while getting paid. The photos on this and the previous page show apprentices of the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1 in action.
18 2024SKILLS
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All images © Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 1