Top 5 National Apprenticeship Week 2024 events on our radar

This month we'll be joining the rest of the industry in celebrating National Apprenticeship Week (NAW). It's a special on this year, being the NAW's 10th anniversary.

It's also a significant one for WorkHands.

Every year, myself and the rest of the WorkHands team aims to participate in as much of NAW as possible -- typically flying to one of your events or participating remotely.

This NAW, you can find me attending a couple events as a panel speaker (details below). But we're also hosting our own event – a launch party to introduce the apprenticeship world to the latest tool from WorkHands. Not only will it help make apprenticeships simpler nationwide, but it will also drive real growth in the industry.

We look forward to seeing you there.

What (and when) is National Apprenticeship Week?

NAW is a nationwide, week-long celebration in November to showcase the impact that registered apprenticeships have on the American workforce. This year, NAW occurs from November 17-23.

It's when everyone – from employers and unions to schools and government agencies – come together to show off what apprenticeships have done and can do for jobseekers, employers, and the economy.

NAW features a huge number of events across the nation. There are many reasons you'd want to catch some of these, including education, networking, and career advancement. We wanted to give you a round-up of some of the events on the agenda that caught our eye. If you're in the area, be sure to check these out.

Here are our top 5 National Apprenticeship Week 2024 events:

1. WorkHands Launch Event

Ok. We're biased, but since we've never hosted a National Apprenticeship Week event, we need to plug this one first! Our webinar on November 20th will feature all of the things we're doing to make apprenticeship simpler, but most importantly, it will include a new announcement. We've long heard that apprenticeships are one of the best kept secrets in workforce. Our new launch aims to change that by making it easier for you to promote your apprenticeship and for employers and applicants to find apprenticeships that work for them.

Host: WorkHands

Date: November 20

Time: 1pm - 2pm PST (4pm - 5pm EST)

Location: Zoom + LinkedIn

Host Website: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7251707289114423296

2. Gulf Coast Region Apprenticeship Summit

The Gulf Coast Region Apprenticeship Summit is a public event hosted by Houston Community College. They'll be celebrating apprenticeship programs and emphasizing their life-changing impact on our economy and workforce.

It's open to anybody. Whether you're an employer who's interested in offering apprenticeships, or an existing apprenticeship sponsor, you can join in celebration, learn about regional registered apprenticeships, and do some networking.

Oh, and by the way: I'll be speaking on a panel at this one on the 19th. Stop by and say hello.

Host Organization: Houston Community College

Dates: Nov 18-20

Times: 6:00pm (11/18)-1:00pm (11/20) CST

Location: West Houston Institute: 2811 Hayes Rd., Houston, Texas 77082

Host Website: https://hcc.idloom.events/2024-gulf-coast-region-apprenticeship-summit-employer-day

3. Inaugural Maine Apprenticeship Summit

The inaugural Maine Apprenticeship Summit is a first for apprenticeship stake holders to be held in Augusta, Maine. We expect this to be an incredible event for current sponsors or those who work closely with job seekers. That includes businesses, industry associations, unions, workforce partners, education providers, and community-based organizations.

This full day event is open to the public and will provide lots of education around registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships in Maine. Tickets are $25 per person, and the schedule includes a keynote address, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities with other businesses and workforce partners.

Host: Maine Apprenticeship Program, MDOL

Date: Nov 18

Time: 9:00am-3:30pm EST

Location: 15 Enterprise Dr. 2nd Floor, Augusta, Maine 04330

Host Website: Mapsummit.com

4. 2nd Annual PPPL Apprenticeship Graduation

While many NAW events are open to the public, private celebrations also play a key role in recognizing apprenticeship achievements. Since apprenticeships don't always follow a traditional calendar like, say, a college program, they're an ideal time for a graduation celebration.

The 2nd Annual Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) Apprenticeship Graduation illustrates how organizations are embracing apprenticeships in cutting-edge scientific fields.

Because apprenticeships aren't just for traditional trades – they're becoming a key part of workforce development in high-tech and scientific sectors, too.

Host: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

Date: Nov 19

Time: 1:00-3:00pm EST

Location: Hybrid; 100 Stellarator Rd., Princeton, New Jersey 08543

Host Website: www.pppl.gov/national-apprenticeship-week

5. Vision 2030: Building the Future of Registered Apprenticeship

The Urban Institute, along with Jobs for the Future (JFF), the Council of State Governments, and Safal Partners will meetg during National Apprenticeship Week to celebrate the US Department of Labor's transformative investments that made Registered Apprenticeships more transparent, inclusive, and accessible for employers.

This event will highlight the critical work of the Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Centers of Excellence (Centers) over the past four years and set the stage for the essential work ahead to modernize the system.

The in-person event is invite-only, but you can watch the livestream from anywhere.

Host: U.S. DOL, Office of Apprenticeship

Date: Nov 21

Time: 9:00 - 10:00am EST

Location: Virtual

Host Website: https://www.urban.org/events/vision-2030-building-future-registered-apprenticeship