Training

Apprenticeship
HR Insight: Earn as You Learn – Apprenticeship Programs 1024 577 LaDonna Kearney

HR Insight: Earn as You Learn – Apprenticeship Programs

Earn as You Learn – Is an Apprenticeship Program Right for Your Company?

According to U.S. Department of Labor data, registered national apprenticeships have increased by 64% since 2012, with over 241,000 new apprentices entering the system in 2021 and 593,000 actively engaged in programs. While those numbers appear respectable, they represent only a drop in the bucket of nationwide employees. Stigmas persist against hiring candidates who lack college degrees, along with misunderstandings about the potential scope for more industries. Is it time for your company to consider implementing an apprenticeship program?

Learning by doing

Companies unfamiliar with apprenticeship programs may be confused about the difference between apprentices and interns. Basically, interns operate in their own sphere and internships tend to be:

  • Much shorter term.
  • Less structured.
  • Limited to entry-level positions.
  • Frequently uncompensated.
  • Rarely leading to formal certifications.

Apprenticeships, on the other hand, typically run from one to six years and consist of a blend of hands-on and classroom learning. Work may be based on hours put in or skill levels achieved. Those who go by the clock typically work about 2,000 hours a year, supplemented by around 144 hours in the classroom. As an illustration, medical doctors train in an equivalent manner by incorporating both classroom and residency experience.

Consider the rules

Programs registered with the Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency must meet strict standards, such as raising pay rates in line with apprentices’ increased skills. Recent Labor Department estimates cover a wide range of industries. The starting pay averages about $50,000 annually for those who have completed programs.

Many people still hold a limited and old-fashioned attitude toward which industries should engage apprentices, reflecting a system launched 75 years ago. In the past, the most popular avenues were for electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other artisans. Now, the range of fields is broadening. New sectors include finance, technology, human relations, transportation, logistics, energy, fashion, law and defense. Others, such as tax preparers, database administrators, insurance underwriters, and customer service and sales reps, to name a few, are joining the ranks.

While programs vary in length, schedules and policies, most follow a similar set of practices.

Reaping the rewards

Everybody wins. From a company standpoint, firms these days are particularly focused on effective recruiting when so many face workforce shortages. It is also useful to draw from a pool of candidates with some company-specific experience or those who have already been tested as potential employees.

Firms are looking to apprenticeship programs to:

  • Help recruit and develop skilled workers.
  • Beef up productivity and profitability.
  • Create efficiencies.
  • Plug gaps in company teams.
  • Contain training costs.
  • Encourage mentorship.
  • Become eligible for certain tax credits.

There are a number of indirect benefits. For example, apprenticeships offer a route toward greater workforce diversity. Hiring firms are likely to overly rely on college degrees as a proxy for skills, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Such an emphasis on college diplomas may lead to racial and economic exclusions.

Apprenticeships also encourage greater morale and innovation. At the same time, employee turnover rates tend to decline and less supervision is required.

Yet, there are no free lunches. The programs do entail costs, not only wages but also materials, equipment and mentors’ time. There is some risk, too, that competitors might poach trained apprentices. Firms should be wary of shortening the training period to save money, though; costs are highest and benefits to firms are lowest in the earliest years.

As awareness grows, more employers and human resources departments will recognize the value of tapping this rich resource. Companies should consider it a capital investment, while workers receive a debt-free degree and practical education.

©2023

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cybersecurity remote employee training
Cybersecurity Training for Your Remote Employees 940 788 LaDonna Kearney

Cybersecurity Training for Your Remote Employees

Having Remote Workers Brings on New Challenges with Cybersecurity. Know the Risks and Offer Cybersecurity Training.

According to a Digital Defense Report published by Microsoft in 2021, the private industry’s support of remote work, in addition to factors introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, has made remote workers a lot more susceptible to the actions of cybercriminals. Per the 2021 Microsoft report, “While most industries made the shift to remote work due to the pandemic, it created new attack surfaces for cybercriminals to take advantage of, such as home devices being used for business purposes.”

As you can infer, for companies that employ remote workers, it is important to implement training measures that teach them all about various cybersecurity dangers. But what should the training process look like?

Let’s explore some areas of consideration for your training process. These suggestions have been put forth by SANS Security Awareness in its Security Awareness Deployment Guide that covers how to securely work from home. The SANS guide outlines the core cybersecurity risks that remote employees are most likely to face as they work from the comfort of their homes.

Risk No. 1: Social engineering attacks

Social engineering attacks are one of the most dangerous and frequent risks that remote workers face while on the job from home. In essence, social engineering risks refer to situations where remote workers face psychological attacks. In these instances, the social engineering perpetrator tricks remote workers into making mistakes.

The perpetrators do this by taking advantage of vulnerabilities that remote workers deal with during difficult times involving a lot of change. You can think of the COVID-19 pandemic as a prime example of a time when social engineering risks were very prominent.

However, rather than focusing strictly on phishing attacks via email, it is important that employers pay attention to other modes of social engineering attacks, such as via text, over the phone, on social media and through the spread of fake news.

Risk No. 2: Not having strong passwords

A main cause of global data breaches is none other than weak passwords. Though not the only contributing factor, weak passwords put remote workers at risk of having their information stolen or compromised. To counter the likelihood of your remote employees being subjected to data breaches, make sure you train them on the importance of strong passwords and how they can reduce password-related risks.

During the training period, consider addressing the following points:

  • Setting up extra security measures, such as passphrases.
  • Establishing unique passwords for every online account.
  • Utilizing password managers.
  • Enrolling in multifactor or two-factor authentication.

Risk No. 3: Using outdated systems instead of updating them

Something else to keep in mind is that out-of-date technologies are gold mines for cybercriminals who want to target remote workers. To combat this, take measures to ensure that the operating systems, online applications, mobile applications and other forms of technologies that are used by your remote employees are always updated.

Also, remote employees who use their own personal devices for work-related tasks should be advised about the importance of keeping their systems updated too. For example, remote workers can enable automatic updates, which is especially helpful if updating devices is something your remote workers put off or forget to manually do.

3 more cybersecurity topics to cover in training

For starters, you’ll want to let your employees know about the importance of identifying and addressing suspicious online activity. Let your employees know what suspicious activity looks like and how they can report any suspicious activity they see.

From there, let your employees know that if they work remotely outside their own homes, they are still in harm’s way given the public nature of their workplace. As such, make sure they consider the cybersecurity threats associated with their daily work routines.

Finally, inform your remote workers about the importance of keeping their work-related technology private. Relay the fact that they should not let unauthorized persons access their work-related technology, including family and friends.

Make it a point to offer cybersecurity training to all remote employees

Training new remote employees on all things cybersecurity during orientation is always a wise idea. For remote employees who have been with your company for a longer period of time, make sure you provide training periodically so that your long-term remote employees are educated on critical cybersecurity developments as they arise.

To ensure that the training you provide to your employees is accurate, up to date and thorough, consider hosting training sessions that are led by remote-work cybersecurity experts.

©2023

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