At the beginning of 2018, after having successfully planned, created and brought into reality a groundbreaking Logistics Apprenticeship program, AMS Fulfillment and College of the Canyons announced their intention to start a new Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
Over the past few months they have continued their efforts until recently they met to discuss the launch of the Material Coordinator Pre-Apprenticeship Program. Once again we see the unique partnership between an employer, AMS Fulfillment, and a community college, SCV College of the Canyons, breaking new ground in workforce development.
The Pre-Apprenticeship program takes place for 10-12 weeks with job shadowing, on the job training, and coursework. It will be focused on individuals who are struggling to maintain employment by providing the opportunity to learn basic employability skills and specific skills to enter the logistics field, which is one of the fastest growing industries in LA County.
Upon announcing the new partnership, Ken Wiseman, CEO of AMS, said, “This program is designed for employees struggling to get themselves established in the job market. We are trying to help these pre-apprentice candidates get their hands firmly around the first rung of the employment ladder, and empower them to start their climb.”
The pre-apprenticeship training from AMS and curriculum from COC will be augmented by other wrap around services to help trainees overcome obstacles such as single parenthood, homelessness, and other circumstances that get in the way of starting and holding a job. AMS has worked with resource groups in the community to identify candidates.
Jeffrey Forrest, VP of Economic and Workforce Development at COC recently announced more details about the program: “Administered by the Strong Workforce Apprenticeship Group (SWAG), participants will receive training in soft skills, Excel, Warehouse Operations and Safety. Upon graduation, they will be eligible for the company’s apprenticeship program that is registered with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) and the US Department of Labor (US DOL).”
On the SWAG website we find a definition of apprenticeship that includes the new developments we see taking place at AMS and COC in response to the needs of job seekers and the SCV community:
“Apprenticeship is a training model that is used to enable companies to develop a pipeline of talent for critical positions within their organizations. An apprenticeship consists of two components: 1) On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Related Technical Instruction (RTI). The OJT is developed by the company and involves a set of skills the apprentice is expected to master based on work experience. The minimum OJT experience is one year and can extend to up to four years depending on the occupation. RTI is generally offered by a Community College or other Local Educational Agency and consists of course work relevant to the skills being gained from the OJT experience.”