Apprenticeships have long been associated with manufacturing and construction jobs. But some New York City tech and finance companies have started to use apprenticeships as a way to train new hires and diversify their workforces.
While these efforts were growing in number, Mayor Bill de Blasio last year announced a new initiative to establish 450 apprenticeships in the industrial, health and tech industries by 2020. The city will use models already pioneered by some tech companies to encourage other businesses to hire apprentices.
Joshua Ortiz was always interested in computers, but after getting an associate degree in applied science, the Bronx native found even entry-level technology positions required certifications he couldn’t afford.
A relative suggested he enroll at Per Scholas, a nonprofit technical school in the South Bronx, where he took a free, 15-week course that helped him get the qualifications he needed. In 2013, he landed a spot in Barclays PLC’s first apprenticeship program in New York City, and two years later he was hired full-time in the firm’s information-technology department.
“I was underqualified before coming here,” said Mr. Ortiz, 26, who is now an engineer in the bank’s IT department in Midtown Manhattan. “It was tough learning the infrastructure as a person without experience.”
Read Complete Article