No "Donald", but Montana Apprentices Hear "You’re Hired!"

Just like business tycoon Donald Trump, Montana
employers know that apprenticeships are an effective way to find quality
workers.

"Pairing on-the-job training with classroom learning is a sure-fire way to
help an individual learn how to operate in today’s business world," said
Wendy Keating, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. "Most people think of
apprenticeship as a way to enter into trade occupations, but the model has
also proven successful in occupations not normally associated with
apprenticeship. Recently, the Department established the first pharmacy
technician apprenticeship program for a rural Montana hospital," she
continued.

As a job training program, apprenticeship provides unique benefits not
usually found in other training programs. Participants are able to earn
wages while they are learning, and because they are experienced workers by
the time they complete their program, apprentices are able to earn wages
that exceed the average wage for most entry level workers. According to
the
State Apprenticeship and Training Program, last fiscal year, apprentices
earned an average hourly wage of $14.99 per hour and an average gross wage
over $31,000 per year. By contrast, the average wage for all Montanans in
February 2004 was just over $13.00 per hour. Often, distance learning is
used for the classroom component of the program, allowing apprentices to
complete their training in their home community.

"Apprenticeship programs are a cost effective way to build Montana’s
workforce," said Keating, pointing out that Montana employers paid over $30
million dollars in wages last year to registered apprentices and
apprentices, in turn, paid an estimated $6 million dollars in both state
and
federal taxes. For every dollar the State of Montana invested in
apprenticeship, employers paid wages of $73.54 in wages and an estimated
$13.41 in taxes by apprentices from the wages earned in their
apprenticeship
for each of those state dollars.

Employers see benefits from apprenticeship programs, too. They are able to
train workers who often continue working for them after they’ve completed
their training, and are able to customize the apprentices’ learning
experience to meet their specific business needs. One of the primary
reasons employers train apprentices is that they need skilled employees
knowledgeable in their respective trade, and particularly in rural areas,
the labor pool simply does not have trained workers immediately available.
Apprenticeship addresses this need by training Montanans for jobs at home.
"Nearly 85% of the apprentices who have completed their program since 1997
are still working in Montana," said Mark Maki, Director of the State
Registered Apprenticeship Program for the Montana Department of Labor and
Industry.

Today’s apprenticeship programs are available for 53 occupations, from
childcare workers to plumbers. Health care occupations, starting with
pharmacy technician, are the next evolution for the program. "We currently
have an estimated 1,100 apprentices working with more than 700 employers in
120 communities in Montana. The program completed 240 apprentices last
year. These folks are now working at journeyperson level and continuing to
invest in the State’s economy as skilled workers," said Maki.

Employers who would like to know how to use apprenticeship programs to
build
their labor force should contact Mark Maki at 406-444-3556.