Apprenticeships, Internships, and Skill Centers
By Nancy Aird
What is your future? The future is always part of life. There are no one-size-fits-all plans for career and educational pathways after graduation, unemployment, or changing career goals. For example, my path diverged from my B.S. in Police Science and Administration. I worked 38 years in the Supply Chain field and got an A.A.S. in Homeland Security Emergency Management and now work at the Center as a Program Specialist. Open up to opportunities if they arise. Below are some sites to start looking into for your future.
Apprenticeship Pathway
This combines learning from work experiences and often Community Technical College classes with pay while you advance in training.
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries site:
https://secure.lni.wa.gov/arts-public/#/program-search?fromProgramDetails=true
www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Apprenticeship.
https://secure.lni.wa.gov/arts-public/#/program-search.
Internship/Externship Pathway
How does an internship or externship differ from the apprenticeship? Unlike apprenticeship programs that teach beginners a skill while they are on the job, internships and externships are temporary jobs that give short-term work experience in their chosen career field. When the internship or externship ends you often go back to school or continue on your pathway to discovering a job. An intern may receive compensation during their internship, but this cannot be in the form of a regular wage per WA Labor and Industries. Compensation that is not intended to be a wage may be acceptable, this could include a stipend or reimbursement for expenses incurred during the internship
Skill Centers
Skills centers are regional secondary schools that serve high school students from multiple school districts. They provide instruction in current industry preparatory programs that are either too expensive or too specialized for school districts to offer individually. Currently, there are 15 core skill centers campuses throughout the state, and 3 additional branch campuses at other sites. Students may earn high school and college credits and industry certificates for completing the 1-to-2-year programs.