Apprenticeship opportunities help bring in-demand jobs to the Bluegrass area.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – From construction and manufacturing to healthcare and education, the Kentucky Department of Education says apprenticeships are becoming the career readiness standard for many high school students and even working adults.

“We were failing both industry and students because we didn’t have any additional opportunities after leaving school,” said Department of Education learning specialist Mary Taylor. “I needed to go straight to work, the army or higher education. Students can now pursue the apprenticeship pathways that appeal to them.”

Taylor said the programs not only provide debt relief and career opportunities, but also address the job shortage.

“We have school districts hiring their own teachers to combat the teacher shortage,” Taylor said. “These students are trained and taught at the high school and then the district hires them.”

By 2032, Kentucky will need 97,000 more workers to work in these high-demand fields, according to the Kentucky Statistics Center. Some industries are moving forward, like the Kentucky Retail Federation, with new training.

“The retail industry is no different than any other industry today,” said Kentucky Retail Institute President Cassie Grigsby. “There is a need for employees. As we have heard over the past several years, this is the entire reason the retail training program was created.”

Grigsby said that in addition to the many benefits, an assistant position like theirs can help produce a professionally ready candidate.

“Once a student or working adult completes an apprenticeship program; the goal is to finish work on Friday and continue on Monday working full time,” she said.

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