Gabriella Small
Editor-in-Chief
Entering the job field after college tends to be a difficult feat for graduates regardless of their majors. Many do not have solid plans for the future after college, and some believe that they do not have a chance in the workforce at all. Broward College’s Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship program seeks to ease the college-to-workforce road and make it a smoother one for students and provide a source of income to participants.
Entering an apprenticeship/pre-apprenticeship program has many benefits, such as guaranteed income from day one, as well as hands on experience in a field one is interested in.
A person interested in the program does not have the requirement of being extremely knowledgeable in every single aspect of the job they’re assigned to, as they are expected to be learning on the job. Those who participate in these programs also have the guarantee of receiving a job once they leave the college world and will have an easier time paying off whatever debts that they have built.
At the moment, the two main apprenticeship programs that are offered at Broward College are the Information Technology Specialist and the Network Support Technician positions, according to the BC apprenticeship website.
The Information Technology position is year-long and includes opportunities to earn several certifications with CompTIA, such as Network+, which teaches participants the skills needed to maintain and troubleshoot the networks that businesses use, and Security+, which teaches participants how to monitor and secure environments like the cloud.
Participants are also given the ability to learn soft skills which will help them maneuver coworker-coworker and coworker-management interactions.
The Pre-Apprenticeship program has a similar position, but instead shortens the program to 2-4 months, only focusing on the acquirement of CompTIA’s A+ and N+ certifications.
The Network Support Technician position is another year long position that allows for participants to also earn certifications, though they are hands on Copper Installer and Fiber Optic Installation certifications.
At the end of this program, apprentices complete more than 2000 hours of on-the-job training and gain a great deal of soft skills as well.
The Apprenticeship Program does not have any limiting requirements barring people from entry, only asking for people interested to be over the age of 18, possess a high school diploma or GED, have the ability to work in the U.S. legally, and, of course, be diligent and hardworking.
To sign up for this program, visit Broward College’s Apprenticeship Program Homepage, https://broward.edu/apprenticeship and fill out the interest form at the bottom of the page.
If one does not have the ability to work in the U.S., but is close to turning 18, the Pre-Apprenticeship program will be a better fit.
The way to sign up for the program is by also entering the program’s homepage and filling out an interest form.
After filling out the interest form, one of the program’s representatives will send you an email detailing more about the programs and times for joining information session pertaining to them.
If there are any specific inquiries, feel free to contact Christopher Josef-Chreonsky at cjosefch@broward.edu.
smalg5@mail.broward.edu