November 26, 2012

Apprenticeships Make a Comeback in the United States

Common in Europe, partnerships with employers get graduates into jobs fast

Apprenticeships Make a Comeback 3

Fred Rollison for The Chronicle

Michael Aguilera, a student at Greenville Technical College, in South Carolina, and a participant in the BMW Scholars Program, learns from an employee at the company's plant in Spartanburg. "It would be great to start a career here after college," he says. His apprenticeship makes that much more likely.

By Aisha Labi

When Michael Aguilera graduated from high school, in Woodmont, S.C., in 2009, he didn't think he would ever find himself back in a classroom. But a "dead-end job" at a local auto-parts store and no success in applying for manufacturing positions that required more experience than his limited résumé could muster persuaded him to enroll at Greenville Technical College.