9 Ways Apprenticeships can Shape Future Work Environments

The traditional way of moving forward after school is to get accepted to college and to work towards some form of qualification that sets you up for a future in the job market.

But is this model of going about developing a career still relevant? Perhaps it is in some instances if the motive is to climb the ladder in corporate environments. But with unemployment soaring to all time highs largely due to the economic recession, jobs in the corporate world are few and far between. And corporations are likely to look at students with the highest grades to fill vacancies.

How do we deal with rising unemployment then? One way is to become more entrepreneurial. What does this mean, and how does this change the way we learn? I would argue that apprenticeships can play a significant role in this regard. Why?

1. Apprenticeships give us the opportunity to learn valuable skills first-hand in the marketplace.
2. Apprenticeships involve learning by doing as opposed to sitting in college for 3 years learning a bunch of theory. I'm not suggesting that technical knowledge is not valuable, I am suggesting however that it can be done on the job.
3. As apprenticeships involve learning by doing, you can track your progress which makes that progress more rapid because you're constantly learning from your mistakes, integrating what works and discarding what doesn't.
4. Apprenticeships require that you apply what you learn through observation and practice. Practice makes perfect applies well to the field of apprenticeship because as you observe a new skill, you can immediately go into the marketplace to put into practice. This results in faster learning and application of knowledge.
5. Apprenticeships require that you use a growth mindset. That means if you fail or get something wrong, that you learn how you failed or where you went wrong so that you can do better next time. A fixed mindset on the other hand sees failure as something that's set in stone making it harder for you to get back on track.
6. Apprenticeships often require learning and overcoming challenges through what I call the 3 C's - co-creation, collaboration and cooperation. Employing the 3 C's is the best way to make the most of unique talents and expertise to arrive at your goal. 
7. Apprenticeships involve an ongoing process of mentoring and coaching. These 2 formats are valuable hands-on ways to impart knowledge and encourage growth as well as gaining clarity and understanding of what's needed to succeed. As we master various levels of the apprenticeship, we take heart and develop accordingly. We can also pass this valuable trait onto other apprentices when it comes our turn to mentor or coach.
8. The way apprenticeships are structured is unlike the rigid formations found in corporations. There's no right or wrong way. Learning is more fluid and flexible as you take what you've just learned and apply it or mold it to different situations. Akin to the creative process, this can be messy and involves a lot of trial and error type learning. 
9. Once we've got a handle on what we're looking to learn or master, we can then step off the precipice with the knowledge and skills and confidence to set-up our own business. Even then though, you're not entirely on your own as the apprenticeship should require that there's the possibility to be coached through the process to ensure long-term success.

In conclusion, I think we need more apprenticeships for future work environments. Not only will people gain valuable skills and work experience, but they could then go on to become entrepreneurs themselves, ensuring future success.