Thanks to increased advocacy around alternative career paths, apprenticeships have gained a lot of traction in other industries over the last decade. Retail, hospitality, technology, and healthcare all offer registered apprenticeships in addition to the traditional building trades apprenticeships that many of us are familiar with. 

Apprenticeships offer employees the opportunity to learn how to do the job from seasoned instructors and get paid for their time learning. After a few years, the apprentices are able to become certified with their accredited education and have a resume full of relevant, paid experience. The full-time learning and full-time working experience sets these workers up for a rewarding career with less educational debt than some post-secondary options.

Our member, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, can help retail businesses start and manage an apprentice program. They act as your education partner, offering 150 hours of online instruction at no cost to the employer. Their program is a great fit if you've got a current employee that wants to grow their knowledge base and expand their future potential. At the completion of the program, apprentices earn a U.S. Department of Labor Retail Operations Specialist Certificate. Employers also have the opportunity to receive tax credits on qualified apprentices.

The idea of starting your career off without five or six-figures in financial commitment is something the younger generations are seriously considering when evaluating what their post-high school plans are. An apprenticeship is particularly appealing to adults looking to make a career change but who can't sacrifice a routine paycheck to sit in a traditional classroom for months at a time. From an employer prospective, you're getting the ability to teach someone how to do the job to your standards and increasing your staff loyalty and retention of workers resulting in less turnover and improved productivity. 

If you're a retail business interested in adding an apprentice to your staff, visit IRMA's website to learn more about their FREE program. If you'd like to further explore a DOL registered apprenticeship, visit ApprenticeshipUSA.