In Iowa, You Can Earn While You Learn
Apprenticeship program combines on-the-job training with classroom instruction.
Are you new to the land of employment and want to find a job in Iowa? Good news. You don’t have to go it alone. The state offers a range of programs that not only benefit new workers but also the companies that hire them.
One example is the Registered Apprenticeship Program, which provides opportunities for workers seeking high-skilled and high-paying jobs as well as for employers looking to build top-notch workforces. The program offers training in more than 1,000 occupations in top statewide economic sectors, such as agriculture, advanced manufacturing, energy, financial services, health care, hospitality, information technology and more.
Within each of these sectors is a wealth of career pathways. For example, advanced manufacturing has apprenticeship options for an avionics technician, a carpenter, a CNC operator, a diesel mechanic, an electrician, a metal fabricator, a welder and more.
Program officials say the Iowa apprenticeship combines on-the-job learning with related classroom instruction, and participants earn a paycheck from day one. In most cases, employers will pay the classroom costs for the apprentice. The state also provides noncompetitive grants for companies that participate in a registered apprenticeship.
More and more Iowa high schools are offering pre-apprenticeship curricula to prepare students to meet the basic qualifications so they can eventually enter a Registered Apprenticeship Program.
