Learn more about apprenticeship software and discover what apprenticeship management tool is right for your company.
You may be familiar with apprentices, but have you heard of apprenticeship software?
For many U.S. companies, apprenticeship program management is part of the daily to-do list. Still, many programs are managed manually – through a confusing mix of spreadsheets, emails, and federal forms.
Apprenticeship software is technology specifically developed to help companies automate the design and management of their apprenticeship programs.
Apprenticeship software is an emerging category. To define it, we must first understand the history of apprentice management.
The history of apprenticeships goes back thousands of years, with the first written reference from around 4,000 years ago. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi details how “artisans teach their crafts to the youth.” Apprenticeships ensured certain skills were passed down from generation to generation.
Be glad we have technology nowadays… imagine running your apprenticeship program on clay tablets! Thankfully, much has changed in the past 4,000 years in apprenticeship management tools.
In the American colonies, apprentices were sent from England to help develop a new society. In those days, apprenticeship management included providing food, clothing, shelter.
The Industrial Revolution helped transition apprenticeships from the domestic sphere to the workplace. In 1937, apprenticeships moved to federal recognition through the Fitzgerald Act. The Act introduced physical contracts and an agreement of terms to apprenticeship management. It also led the way for today’s Federal Government-assisted apprentice program.
Fast forward: apprenticeships have evolved to provide better value to both the apprentice and the company. Companies have spent time testing apprenticeship management tools – from clay tablets, pencils and pens, excel sheets, and everything in between.
Somewhere over the years, managing a company’s apprenticeship program became a complicated, time-intensive, and expensive process.
Apprenticeship software makes running your apprenticeship program easy. By incorporating the tools, strategies, and processes necessary to help businesses better organize and implement modern, high-quality apprenticeship programs, apprenticeship software is designed to cut back on time and expenses.
When evaluating apprenticeship software, it’s important to consider which parts of your apprenticeship management system you want to automate.
Are you looking to solely automate apprentice tracking? Do you want to automate apprentice recruiting? Or does your company require a more in-depth apprenticeship software that automates all pieces of the process – from program design and setup to management, tracking, and reporting?
Most apprenticeship software is designed for companies with existing apprenticeship programs. But in rare cases, the software may also be designed for businesses looking to set up an apprenticeship program from scratch (Apprentix, for example.)
Apprenticeship software is also designed for the various roles within an apprenticeship program.
For sponsors, apprenticeship software can provide apprenticeship overviews, results, and reports.
For mentors, apprenticeship software enables the simple management of their apprentice cohorts.
For apprentices, apprenticeship software becomes their day-to-day workplace where they can stay up-to-date on their classroom hours, On-the-Job Learning (OJL) hours, and with some softwares, even receive certifications.
For managers, apprenticeship software provides an easily-accessible access point to all parts and pieces of the apprenticeship program – from design, recruiting, management, and reporting – depending on the software you choose.
Apprentix is modern apprenticeship software for businesses looking to easily design and manage apprenticeship programs. We empower businesses to build their talent pipeline and reduce turnover through high-quality apprenticeships.
After spending two years building our own apprenticeship program, we developed an apprenticeship software that helps companies cut the design process from months to minutes and enables the easy and effective management of high-quality, federally-registered apprenticeships all in one place.
How does Apprentix’s apprenticeship software work? Implementing Apprentix is a simple as:
After that, you’ll login to your Apprentix account once per week to manage your apprenticeship programs.
For program design, Apprentix automates:
✔ Creating a job description
✔ Developing an On-the-Job Learning (OJL) plan for your job title
✔ Setting wage progressions based on apprentice achievements
✔ Finding recruiting sources to hire a diverse workforce
✔ Mentorship and supportive service program setup
✔ Capturing all the information needed to create a RAP
✔ Completing the DoL's registered apprenticeship forms
✔ Federally registering your apprenticeship
For program management, Apprentix automates:
✔ Logging apprenticeship course hours
✔ Accessing and viewing coursework progress
✔ Submitting credit from previous experience for approval
✔ Logging hours for On-the-Job Learning (OJL)
✔ Viewing OJL progress
✔ Enabling managers to access, view, and approve apprentice progress
✔ Distributing wage progressions based on apprentice achievements set during design
✔ Viewing and managing apprentices by cohort
✔ Managing multiple apprenticeships at one time
✔ Accessing and viewing all details of an apprenticeship
✔ Evaluating competencies through Apprentix
✔ Providing feedback to apprentices through Apprentix
✔ Sending email reminders to apprentices to submit logs
✔ Issuing data-transparent digital certificates
✔ Generating custom reports
✔ Tracking and reporting on company demographic data
The age-old question: do I really need it? Our rule of thumb is always “if it helps you do your job quicker, faster, or better,” a tool is worth it. You may also consider the ROI of an apprenticeship software.
How do you determine the success of your apprenticeship program? There are a number of metrics the companies using Apprentix like to track, including apprentice graduation rate, employee turnover rate, and the amount of time it takes to manage a program.
Make sure to track these three metrics before starting with an apprenticeship software, as it’ll correlate directly with the impact software has on your apprenticeship program management. Get started with modern apprenticeship software today. It’s time to level up your apprenticeship management tool through Apprentix.
