by Mary Elizabeth Lonergan
Six months of idea-sharing culminated during the 2021 CSG National Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as six participating states came together for a Public Sector Apprenticeship Consortium sponsored by CSG and The Urban Institute.
The consortium included the participating states of California,
Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan and Virginia. Its goal was to equip
and empower state policymakers — particularly state legislators
and executive officials — with tools to develop and implement public sector apprenticeships.
“We wanted a balanced group of states that could not only lean on CSG and the Urban Institute for support, but also each other,” said Dina Klimkina, workforce and education program director for the CSG Center of Innovation. “We included programs that have established apprenticeship programs, but need a little help in scaling, and those that have robust private sector programming, but none in the civic sector. We looked for proposals that were specific, testable, attainable and relevant. We also wanted to make sure the states had a focus on making sure their apprenticeship programs were inclusive to all and had some focus on underserved populations.”
Policymakers from the six states met over six months and developed teams to work on establishing and developing apprenticeship plans, with a convening during the 2021 CSG National Conference.
“I thought the forum was a huge success…The state teams were working together, facilitated by CSG and The Urban Institute, so it was a coordinated, facilitated discussion,” said Katia Albanese, program manager for Concepts, Inc., a communications consulting company that focuses on disability and inclusion issues. Concepts, Inc. is a contractor for the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED).
“There were subject matter experts there on all the issues that were noted of importance or priority to the teams,” Albanese said. “They had direct access to subject matter experts while they were convening. The forum allowed for the states to make leaps and bounds in their program development, not just to take a small step toward developing their program.”
SEED, part of the U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy, is a state and federal collaboration that helps state and local governments implement inclusive policies to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities, creating a better workforce in the U.S.
“As these state teams develop apprenticeship programs, there’s a high probability that they are going to run into policy barriers, especially
if they are looking at underserved populations and ensuring the opportunities are there, and they can set up the program within civic apprenticeship,” Albanese said.
Participating state teams said the Apprenticeship Consortium provided insight and direction on how to implement successful apprenticeship programs, with a focus on inclusivity.
“The opportunities that presented themselves by participating in this event in Santa Fe were incredible,” said David Leon, director of workforce programs with the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. “(Working) directly with staff from Michigan and Maine really had a lot of impact. But also, getting connected with the partnership for inclusive apprenticeship was huge. … I personally got so much out of being there. Equally, getting to be there with peers and colleagues from my agency and partner agencies and getting to hear ideas at the same time and synthesize that information … those opportunities are so rare and valuable.”
Leon said his team discovered ways to make apprenticeships more accessible to people with disabilities.
“What we spoke to in that opening session [was] the amount of
opportunities available and the misconceptions that exist,” he said.
Leon discussed a survey his team sent to other agencies asking about the knowledge of apprenticeship programs. He said most thought a new position would have to be created.
“Really, the goal is to look at existing positions that you are looking to fill and see if that role could become an apprenticeship opportunity,” he said. “Individuals with disabilities are a valuable talent pool that is left out of the conversation and could be a value-add to any organization.”
Albanese agreed.
“States have been moving toward being model employers of people with disabilities,” she said. “We see that through our SEED initiative. Civic apprenticeships are an opportunity to be more inclusive to people with disabilities and to further being a model employer. It’s important that these programs be inclusive so that the private sector will model these programs.”
For more CSG resources on apprenticeships for youth and young adults with disabilities, visit capeyouth.org/apprenticeships.
Inclusive companies are more likely to lead and capture new markets.
- 43% of companies with diverse management exhibited higher profits.
- Companies with racial and ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to perform at a higher level and have increased return on investment.
- Diverse teams are 87% better decision-makers than individuals.
- Highly inclusive companies are more likely to hit their financial goals by up to 120%.
- 78% of people think diversity and inclusion offer a competitive advantage.
Read more about workplace diversity at whattobecome.com/blog/diversity-in-the-workplace-statistics.