A Service of UA Little Rock
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Forum On Registered Apprenticeships Educates Employers On Benefits

Sarah Kellogg

Employers interested in establishing registered apprenticeship programs for their company might find the process a little easier than before.

The Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area signed a sponsorship agreement today with the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services to act as an administrative middleman for employers hoping to create apprenticeship positions.

The signing occurred during a forum put on by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce and the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce as a part of National Apprenticeship Week. According to the department, over 80 people showed up for the free event.

In addition to allowing employers to network and learn about the resources available with apprenticeship programs, the program also featured a panel of employers who use apprenticeships in their companies.

Lonnie Emard, the national director of IT & Cyber Apprenticeships Advanced Automation Consulting, moderated the panel. He says events like these are important because not everyone know how registered apprenticeships work.

“Early on it’s really about message, right? This message that people need to know, but they just haven’t heard it before. Exposure and message was about today. Taking people from kind of this unsure, unaware kind of position, to where not only did they become aware of apprenticeships, but we grew their interest in wanting to learn more. That was the goal today,” Emard said.

Libbi Whitehurst, the head of people operations for First Orion, spoke on the panel and also signed a document that officially registered First Orion’s apprenticeship.

“We get the support and the recognition from the Department of Labor that we are a certified program, which means anyone who graduates through that program, who completes it, now has this certification that they’ve done that, which is recognizable worldwide,” Whitehurst said.

Employers who were interested in hearing more about registered apprenticeship positions were encouraged to fill out a postcard that would help arrange a meeting with the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services. For more information, you can email the department at adwsdg@arkansas.gov.