Hundreds of Registered Apprenticeship opportunities available at July LWC Career Fair

BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisianians can explore opportunities to earn while they learn as the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) hosts an Apprenticeship Career Fair.

The Apprenticeship and Career Fair will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13, at two locations across the state. People in North Louisiana who are interested in pursuing a Registered Apprenticeship can find employers at Caddo Career Solutions Center in Shreveport, and in South Louisiana, employees can meet with future employers at the East Baton Rouge Career and Technical Education Center.

“Registered Apprenticeships prove their importance time and time again by helping Louisiana meet our workforce needs. These careers will prove critical in so many ways, but especially as we begin to capitalize on federal dollars aimed at fixing our state’s critical infrastructure needs,” said LWC Secretary Ava Cates. “The ability to earn while you learn is valuable, and apprentices come away with a set of nationally-recognized skills that will carry them through their career.”

There will be hundreds of registered apprenticeship opportunities to choose from at the career fair in industries ranging from plumbing to engineering, to gas and electrical, and even carpentry and iron work. You must be 18 years old and up to participate in a registered apprenticeship. The Shreveport Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee is offering up to 100 opportunities to work on a major solar project in that area.

“This is a perfect time to take advantage of a registered apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are not job training programs; these are career programs that set people up for a lifetime of success,” said Cates. “We know these programs produce hard-working employees in every corner of the state and place them in good-paying careers they’ll have for a lifetime.”

Louisiana received its first federal Registered Apprenticeship grant in 2016, and since then, the number of programs has nearly doubled, with 75 opportunities now offered and more than 3,800 active apprentices. Program sponsors in Louisiana are now also eligible for a tax credit equal to $1.25/hour worked per calendar year up to $1,250 for each eligible apprentice.

Registered Apprenticeships allow workers to earn money as they receive structured on-the-job training and instruction in more than 1,300 different occupations throughout the country. Some programs also offer dual accreditation through post-secondary education institutions that apply apprenticeship credits toward an associate degree.

On average, people who complete an apprenticeship earn an annual salary of $50,000, and for every dollar employers spend, they get an average of $1.47 back in increased productivity.

For more information on Registered Apprenticeship programs in Louisiana, click here.