Educating the Future Generation 24. May 2023 Teacher Appreciation Week was May 8-12, 2023. Teachers are called many things: educators, mentors, instructors, etc. No matter what they are called, we can all agree they truly have an influence on lives both inside and outside of the classroom. Everyone can recall at least one teacher, if not more, who has profoundly impacted their life. Teachers are the rock stars of education and work tirelessly to enrich the lives of the next generation. Great quotes that exemplify great teachers include: “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.”- Brad Henry“Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.”- Sidney HookRegistered Apprenticeship programs provide mentors who teach, support and advise apprentices on the job, directly affecting their learning and persistence toward completion. Mentorship benefits both the mentor and the apprentice. As mentors learn different approaches to support apprentices, they cultivate their own personal and professional growth. Apprentices have a safe space and support to ask questions and learn by doing, while practicing reflective learning and critical thinking skills. This ultimately ensures high-quality apprentice training and leads to retention. A great mentor is hard to find, difficult to part with and impossible to forget! The quality of mentors can make or break your program. Below are a few resources. Apprenticeship Mentoring PrinciplesMentor Guide for Youth Registered Apprenticeship ProgramsTraining Employer Supervisors and MentorsMentorship Training ProgramIs there an individual or an organization that you would like to recognize for the great work they do in Registered Apprenticeships? Nominate them for an Apprenticeship Utah Award! Winners will be recognized during National Apprenticeship Week (November 13-19, 2023) at the Annual Apprenticeship Utah Summit. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, July 14, 2023. Award Nomination FormApprentice Spotlight"After leaving the U.S. Army, I began looking for my big break into a cyber security career. That chance came by way of the Apprenti apprenticeship program. The wealth of knowledge I have received during my year-long tenure with Intermountain Health as a Cyber Secure-Operation-Center analyst has been irreplaceable. It has given me the hands-on experience in a workplace setting needed to progress further in the cyber field. The CompTIA certifications offered in conjunction with the job experience received during this program have been a springboard to multiple job offers and a variety of positions that would not have been available to me without the Apprenti program."- Kylan Tanner, Cyber Apprentice, Intermountain HealthApprenticeship Sponsor SpotlightPilot CNC Machining Technician Youth Apprenticeship LaunchedThe Utah Manufacturers Association (UMA), along with industry, education and government partners, successfully piloted its CNC Machining Technician youth apprenticeship in late January 2023 with eight participants. To develop the program, UMA and industry partners came up with the skills list, then approached their education partners who developed curriculum to ensure the program was current, adaptable and scalable. They were able to overcome the liability issues for youth apprentices in machining facilities by gaining the support needed to get HB 555 sponsored and passed by the legislature. This bill provides an added layer of protection for the industry partners and provides that a public school student participating in a youth apprenticeship is considered a volunteer government worker for purposes of workers' compensation and risk management. UMA plans to fully launch the apprenticeship in August and will continue scaling up statewide over the next two years as a fully registered apprenticeship through the Department of Labor. For more information about the CNC Machining Technician youth apprenticeship, reach out to megan@manufacturingutah.com or martin@manufacturingutah.com with UMA. Additional ResourcesHB 555 - Provides that a public school student participating in a youth apprenticeship is considered a volunteer government worker for purposes of workers' compensation and risk managementFact Sheet #43 - Child Labor Provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for Nonagricultural Occupations