By Kiera Riley | Arizona Capitol Times
Mike Malloy, training director for the Arizona Pipe Trades, found his way to an apprenticeship program on a “fluke.”
As a high school student, Malloy never considered going into a skilled trade. He remembers guidance counselors “used to threaten you that you were going to grow up to be a construction worker if you didn’t pay attention in class.” (Story continues…)
Skilled labor apprenticeship programs are “earn-while-you-learn,” affording students education applied hands-on as soon as the next day, without any compounding debt. Once in the trades, workers see a livable wage, fairly solid job security and opportunities for upward mobility.
Though apprenticeship programs have made great strides in getting the word out, training directors say a stigma still exists when pitching skilled labor as opposed to a four-year college degree.
“You didn’t show these kids that there’s a whole world of opportunity out there for them. You funneled them into a four-year degree and told them that if you ever want to make anything out of yourself, you’ve got to go to a university and you’ve got to get that diploma,” Malloy said.
Malloy said the stigma still exists, but not to the extent he experienced as a student himself. He noted a growing movement in schools and in the state to paint skilled labor as a strong career path.
Beyond pipe trades, Arizona has a host of registered apprenticeship programs, with 33 currently accepting applications.
