09/07/2021
We hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day! This weekend provided a real opportunity for us at ULIMI to reflect on it’s importance and what Labor Day means in America. Many see this day as the close to summer...a reason to relax and enjoy the long weekend yet there is so much more to it than that!
Honestly, we didn't realize that Labor Day has been a national holiday since 1894. The Labor Movement was started to help the working person fight for better working conditions within the workplace during the Industrial Revolution. During this time, people were not treated well - working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week...with low wages, poor working conditions and little to no training at all. The changes that were brought from this movement are what led us to the conditions and opportunities we have today. Those include paid vacations, 40-hour work weeks, benefits, fair labor standards, up-word mobility, and much, much more.
Several vocational and trade groups such as construction and manufacturing experienced major challenges and needed big changes. The improper training and dangerous conditions these workers faced day-in and day-out was a serious issue. This eventually led to the development of apprenticeship programs as these programs were extremely successful in Europe. Despite already having some apprenticeship programs in America before, specific legislation was not passed until 1937. These programs allowed students and workers the ability to learn proper training while also earning credits toward their schooling. The National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 recognized Apprenticeship Programs as legitimate and were mandated to provide safe working conditions and better train workers.
Fast forward to the NOW…we absolutely need a new revolution in America to address the talent challenges and opportunities within our businesses today (all sectors - Healthcare, Technology, Food Service, Advanced Manufacturing, STEM, Education, etc). For over 80 years now, Apprenticeships have had the same idea...properly educate and train people within their trade or skill and in turn, enhance productivity, efficiency, people development, workplace safety, and OVERALL OPPORTUNITY. Today, Apprenticeship programs are a more effective and affordable way to earn a degree or develop new skills as well as securing important competencies to pursue and make impact within a successful career. In many cases, the funds are there to make an impact to all those involved...Individuals, Educational Institutions, and Employers. We just have to connect the dots!
Because of various funding sources available, employers, student/workers, and educators can WIN. You don’t have to worry as much about the problems of student loans or even previous work experience that a typical individual would deal with after school completion or retraining...even employees who need to reskill or retrain themselves can flourish within their work environments as they learn and obtain enhanced opportunities within their various careers. Employers can retain workers through OJT, tuition credits, and potential tax incentives. Higher Ed is an important collaborator in solving training, staffing, and workforce development issues. It's a WIN, WIN, WIN!
The trials and tribulations that workers of the past had to face during the Industrial Revolution are what led to Labor Day. Without the fight for better conditions, pay and training...we would not have had the successful development of Apprenticeship programming. So...let’s not reinvent the wheel...only re-engineer a model that can aid in solving the current workforce talent issues of today and better prepare us for the workplace opportunities of the future. Work-based learning supplemented and complimented with related technical instruction works….it’s Apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Works!
