CHICAGO APPRENTICE NETWORK BOASTS OF MORE THAN 1,000 PARTICIPANTS

Sabrina Wilks, Photo provided by Marian Daniells
Sabrina Wilks, Photo provided by Marian Daniells

Chicago Apprentice Network boasts of more than 1,000 participants

BY TIA CAROL JONES
   Sabrina Wilks wanted to go back to school, but had to work full-time to pay bills, especially in the midst of the pandemic. So, when she heard about an apprenticeship with Zurich North America, she was stunned, but motivated to apply. “They really were going to pay me a full-time salary on top of paying for my tuition,” she said.
     Wilks said participating in the apprenticeship will enable her to earn a degree that will be useful. She said she also has been able to gain a great network. “I’ve just met so many people here at Zurich and beyond, wherever my career goes, they’re going to be integral to my growth, my mentorship opportunities and just being able to grow in my career and have lots of different avenues that people can help me navigate,” she said.
      People like Sabrina Wilks and Javier Perez are part of why Chicago Apprentice Network has exceeded 1,000 apprenticeships in the Chicagoland area. The apprenticeship model allows participants to gain access to corporate roles, with a salary and benefits, as well as payments for tuition, books and other fees for the apprentices while they pursue their degrees.
     Chicago Apprentice Network began in 2017, with three companies, Accenture, Aon and Zurich North America and has expanded in the last 4 years to include 40 more companies.
     Javier Perez also wanted to go back to school, but was feeling stuck financially. He said it was an amazing opportunity, one that he let pass previously because he wasn’t sure he had what it took to do it. This time, he decided to do it. He said being a part of the program has helped him gain confidence. “It’s been an amazing experience. I’ve met amazing people, I’ve expanded my network, as well. I feel like I actually have what it takes to be in a corporate environment, which is not what I felt like before,” he said.
     Wilks said 10 months into her apprenticeship, she has gained a lot of experience and feels comfortable in her department. “I look at how fluidly I can talk about what I’m doing. I work in claims and I feel comfortable talking to my co-worker and my supervisors and to people outside my job about what I’m doing,” she said.
    City Colleges of Chicago is one of Chicago Apprentice Network’s education partners. Juan Salgado, City Colleges of Chicago chancellor, said City Colleges of Chicago wanted to partner with Chicago Apprentice Network because it allows the students to showcase what they can do and how much value they can provide while they are in the process of completing their degrees.
      According to Cheryl Freeman, director of apprenticeships for City Colleges of Chicago, City Colleges of Chicago has more than 460 apprentices in the program. “It’s a best practice for the companies to have the opportunity to tap into this talent in advance of a fuller commitment to them, in terms of a permanent hire. We’ve seen our students have great success on the back end of this. Not only did they excel in the apprenticeship, but many of them are taken for full-time jobs,” Salgado said. Salgado said in the case of JP Morgan Chase, there were five apprentices from the City Colleges of Chicago who were hired after their apprenticeships. He added that companies aren’t seeing the apprenticeships as temporary work experience in the same way they might see an internship. “This is a true investment in the possibility of a long-term commitment to these employees,” he said.
     Freeman said apprenticeships that are non-trade have recently become more popular in the United States and added that they are very popular in Europe. “Finally, companies are getting the gist that this builds a pipeline, and it helps with their retention. They came in initially, a lot of these big companies, thinking they were doing us a favor, and then, when they started to see how wonderful our students are, now it’s a smart business decision,” she said.
     Freeman said there is an 82 percent retention rate with the apprentices. Salgado said he sat with the CEOs when the Chicago Apprentice Network was started. He said they wanted to be champions of this work.
     “They have gone from believing this could be helpful to them to understanding that this could be transformative for them,” he said.
     Salgado added, when companies partner with City Colleges of Chicago, they tap into diverse talent in every form of diversity – race, ethnicity, gender, and how they came to City Colleges of Chicago.
    “There’s an abundance of talent out there, we see the talent, but the systems are not set up to tap them. Why apprenticeships are growing, is that the leadership wants the companies to tap them. And, they’re challenging their own system to find ways to do that,” he said.

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