National Leader in Online Learning and Skills Training Takes Aggressive Stance Toward Accelerating Employer-sponsored Apprenticeships as a Key to Mitigating the Skills Gap
SCRANTON, PA / ACCESSWIRE / July 18, 2017 / With the President's recent announcement of an expansion of apprenticeship programs as the cornerstone of his labor policy, Penn Foster, a leading provider of skills development training and credentials for today's frontline workforce, demonstrated that it has been making apprenticeships central to its approach toward mitigating the skills gap. Over the past 12 months alone, Penn Foster has provided the Related Instruction component of apprenticeship to more than 5,000 apprentices across 500 employer partners as part of employer-sponsored apprenticeship programs.
One of the leading online educators and skills training providers in the country, Penn Foster has taken a purposeful approach toward workforce training as an answer to the skills gap and un- and under-employment issues, particularly in middle skills occupations. By combining its skilled trades certificate and degree programs with an increasing number of partnerships with employers that offer apprenticeships, Penn Foster is now also one of the leading apprenticeship providers in the U.S. and provides training for more than 100 different occupational pathways. Penn Foster helps organizations build both registered and unregistered apprenticeships in all variety of industries and roles. Through the online delivery of Related Instruction, Penn Foster enables companies to scale their programs and accelerate their growth rate to match national demand.
MetroPower, Inc., a large electrical contractor serving the greater southeastern U.S., is just one example of an employer that has embraced Penn Foster as the online training provider for the related technical instruction component of their company's apprenticeship. MetroPower offers a four-year, DOL-registered Electrician Apprenticeship, and to date, has served more than 125 apprentices using Penn Foster's training curriculum and enrolled 30 apprentices in just the past 12 months.
"Penn Foster advocates for an end-to-end experience for its students, and its stance on a strong apprenticeship program benefits students, us and our customers," said Tony Varamo, Workforce Development Manager, MetroPower. "Not only does Penn Foster provide an effective and comprehensive education, but its online education delivery has improved both the flexibility and productivity of the apprentices in our program. It's an ideal situation for everyone and is helping turn out employees who are fully prepared to be successful in the real world."
Penn Foster is a DOL-eligible Training Provider, working with the Department of Labor via the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and/or corporate-sponsored offerings. More than 700 corporations across the country utilize Penn Foster training and support solutions to educate their workforce. Utilizing its content library in excess of 3,000 courses, Penn Foster can build custom apprenticeship programs with contextualized related technical instruction geared toward partner and employee specialization and industry.
"We are incredibly proud of our established history in apprenticeship and training programs for in-demand middle skills occupations, and are thrilled to have placed more than 5,000 students with employer partners over the past year," said Frank Britt, CEO, Penn Foster. "Even more exciting is our ability to take apprenticeship system to the next generation by scaling the use of online learning for delivery of the Related Instruction portion of apprenticeship - a key to the most comprehensive experience we can jointly offer an apprentice."
About Penn Foster
Students, employers and partner organizations rely on Penn Foster to build the skills and knowledge to power the 21st century workforce. For over 125 years, Penn Foster has been dedicated to helping people lead more meaningful and productive lives and to improving social outcomes through education. Penn Foster provides career pathways for opportunity youth and adult learners through diverse and affordable online diploma, certificate and degree programs, offered via its high school, career school and college. With more than 30,000 graduates each year, Penn Foster's online and blended learning programs are delivered in a self-paced, competency-based model wrapped by comprehensive academic, professional and personal support and coaching. For more information, visit https://www.workforcedevelopment.com/.
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James A. Boyle
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Penn Foster
Kate Mosteller
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SOURCE: Penn Foster, Inc.