Utah apprenticeships have almost doubled in 5 years

SALT LAKE CITY — There are currently more than 4,800 apprentices and over 290 registered programs in Utah.

According to the Department of Workforce Services Commissioner of Apprenticeship Programs, Scott Romney, the number of apprenticeships has almost doubled over the past five years.

There’s also been a big increase in the industries that are offering apprenticeships.

“We just started one for teaching apprenticeships with the State Board of Education to learn how to be a teacher. And I think we just started one to do surgical technician with Intermountain Health,” Romney said.

There are even more unusual fields where people can utilize apprenticeships, like dog training or becoming a pastry chef.

“It’s exciting to see them being added in more industries such as healthcare, technology and education,” said Liz Carver, Workforce Development Division director.

Related: Will trade schools be the new colleges?

While apprenticeship numbers are on the rise, Romney still thinks apprenticeship programs are Utah’s best-kept secret because most people don’t realize how good an option it is. 

High schoolers can start a program as early as 16 years old and get on the path to a great career way ahead of their peers.

“They can accomplish some of their hours while they’re still going to school and then they have that job waiting for them when they graduate,” Romney said.

But it’s not just teens and 20-somethings who are participating in apprenticeships.

“Our most recent graduate from an electrical apprenticeship path was 81 years old,” Romney said.

Probably the most appealing part of doing an apprenticeship is being paid full-time while getting on-the-job training. That allows people to change career paths no matter what phase of life they are in.

“Most of the people that start an apprenticeship program right now are about 30 years old. So that usually means they’ve probably been through school already or have been working in a field that maybe wasn’t the right fit for them from the get-go. So this is a great way to start on a new track,” Romney said.

April 30 is National Apprenticeship Day, and the Department of Workforce Services is hosting an Apprenticeship Fair. It will allow those who are interested to meet with employers and apprenticeship sponsors to explore careers.

The fair is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Karen Gail Miller Conference Center at Salt Lake Community College in Sandy.