The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation today announced a new registered apprenticeship program with CVS Health, and expanded opportunities for Maryland workers in other non-traditional apprenticeship occupations and industries. At the March meeting of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council (MATC), six new sponsors became part of the state’s apprenticeship program, three reactivated their programs, and three expanded their existing programs into new occupations.
According to a press release:
“Apprenticeship is a smart workforce development program that works for any industry,” said Labor Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “While the skilled trades have been the predominant force in apprenticeship – and continue to be an effective career development tool in those fields – we are seeing a solid shift into non-traditional trades, such as healthcare and information technology. Today’s announcement exemplifies that shift, with new occupations in emerging fields.”
Having become the nation’s first employer to start a U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program for pharmacy technicians in 2005, CVS Health is also the first to sponsor a program in Maryland for pharmacy technician and pharmacy managers. Apprentices will receive structured training through the CVS Health Regional Learning Centers in the District of Columbia and District Heights, Maryland, to maintain the high levels of skills needed in the pharmacy field, and will be eligible to apply for a position at one of more than 220 locations in the state.
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In addition to CVS Health, Cooper Electrical Services, ConnectWork, LLC, Maryland Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, Npower, and the Education Foundation for Baltimore County Public Schools became new apprenticeship sponsors, while Allstate Floors, W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc., and Worthington Armstrong Venture reactivated their programs, bringing the total of Maryland’s active apprenticeship sponsors to 136.
1199 SEIU League Training and Upgrading Fund, the Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare (BACH), and the Maryland Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MD MEP) expanded their existing programs. These expansions included new occupations, such as BACH’s surgical technologist and MD MEP’s additive manufacturing technician 3-D printing. MEP’s additive manufacturing occupation is not just a first for Maryland, but is, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the first in the nation.
Apprenticeships are full-time jobs that include on-the-job training and classroom instruction, allowing apprentices to earn while they learn. Anyone 18 or older can be a registered apprentice, while high school students can pursue youth apprenticeships. Businesses and job seekers interested in apprenticeships are invited to contact info@mdapprenticeship.com or call 410-767-2246.
Read the full press release for more information.
