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How Utah businesses can work with schools to train students side-by-side

How Utah businesses can work with schools to train students side-by-side

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To be successful in the real world, students need real world skills. A recent survey by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation found that almost half of employers favor candidate experience over a four-year degree for their hiring criteria — which means apprenticeships and technical certifications are more important than ever.

And that's where local businesses come into the picture. By partnering with the new Utah Adopt-A-School program, companies can partner with Utah's education system to engage in meaningful workforce development. Students gain invaluable work experience and businesses get to offer meaningful engagements. It's a win-win!

To see the difference your business can make, consider the following case study.

The Stadler Rail apprenticeship program sets students up for success

Stadler Rail is a passenger train manufacturer that was founded in Switzerland 80 years ago. Along with several manufacturing and services sites across Europe, the company also has one U.S. location right here in Salt Lake.

Utah Adopt-A-School engaged with Stadler Rail because they already had a higher education apprenticeship program in place called TRAC (Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection). TRAC launched in 2019 in collaboration with the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, Talent Ready Utah, Salt Lake School District and Salt Lake Education Foundation.

The three-year apprenticeship program allows students to earn debt-free associate degrees while gaining hands-on experience in a real work setting. Beginning in their senior year of high school, apprentices take classes and get hands-on instruction at Stadler Rail part-time. After high school, they take special classes developed by Stadler Rail and SLCC and work more hours with the company.

At the end of year three, students graduate with a degree in hand, three years of invaluable work experience and several options. They can work full-time for Stadler Rail, earn a bachelor's degree with Stadler's tuition reimbursement option while continuing to work for the company or take on similar industry jobs at other companies with their newfound knowledge and skills.

"The goal of the program is to open up a broader experience for them so that they can really see what they could do," says Lucy Andre, Stadler Rail's chief of staff. "And having these kinds of professional skills never hurts."

Earn a wage and a degree simultaneously

Though the debt-free associate degree may be incentivizing enough (especially given that NerdWallet reports 42.9 million Americans have student loan debt), that's not the only reason students are engaging and sticking with the program. Stadler Rail provides students with mentoring and a system of support to help apprentices complete degrees while earning a wage. (Yes — they get paid while they work and learn.)

First-year students can earn $11 per hour, second year students earn up to $13.50 and third year students can earn up to $17. Pay is based on work performance and grades.

How Utah businesses can work with schools to train students side-by-side
Photo: Utah Adopt-A-School

Here's what students are saying

Many high school seniors aren't sure what they want to do after graduation. Several go on to earn college degrees in fields they ultimately don't enjoy — but they're stuck with massive amounts of student debt to repay. Thanks to the TRAC program with Stadler Rail, apprentice Gigi Earnest-Stippich isn't one of them.

"When you finish your apprenticeship, not only will you have marketable qualifications, like a degree, you'll have more work experience than most people our age can claim. That's amazing!" Earnest-Stippich said. "I started my apprenticeship not knowing if I would stay in this field at all, But I knew that I would be able to start a career to support myself so I would have the option of going to school in the future."

A mutually beneficial experience

Stadler Rail is proud to engage with young adults in the community and hopes other businesses will follow suit. The apprenticeship program, in particular, has proven to be just as beneficial to their company as it has been for students.

"It's a great deal for the students but you know what, it's an even better deal for us," Andre told KSL earlier this year. "We gain skilled employees who contribute to, not only our workforce but to our community for years to come."

The TRAC program currently has 22 students enrolled in two districts — Salt Lake and Davis. Seven students who started the program in 2019 are set for graduation this summer.

How to get involved with the Adopt-a-School initiative

Getting involved is easier than you might think. If your business would also like to make a difference in young peoples' lives, simply tell Utah Adopt-a-School how you would like to contribute to serving Utah's students and they'll match you with a school whose needs align with your goals. After completing an online assessment, a Talent Ready Utah team member will work with you to find a good match in the community.

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