Washington – Following National Apprenticeship Week last month, Business Roundtable today released a case study on the success of its Chicago Apprentice Network (CAN), titled “Scaling and Replicating a Successful Apprentice Network Model.”
Launched in 2017, the CAN is a network of Chicago-area companies working with community organizations to support professional advancement through apprenticeships. The network’s success sparked an expansion to other regions of the country, with a newly launched Southern California region in November marking the 10th apprenticeship network.
The case study highlights the original nine apprenticeship networks. It describes the benefits of these non-traditional, work-based learning programs to help match employers with local talent—particularly individuals from underrepresented groups—thereby contributing to the growth of regional economies. Additionally, the case study details how the success of apprenticeship programs is often contingent on collaboration and best practice-sharing among participating companies and organizations.
Specifically, the paper analyzes five factors for an apprenticeship network’s success, which include:
- Working with local sustainability partners to complement existing local skilling initiatives.
- Showing the business value of apprenticeships.
- Driving employer-to-employer dialogue.
- Engaging cross-sector organizations to connect local resources across business, talent and higher education.
- Collaborating to increase and amplify collective impact.
Read the full case study here.
Business Roundtable member companies Accenture and Aon co-founded CAN in 2017 to exchange insights among a coalition of Chicago companies committed to creating or expanding an apprenticeship program. Since then, CAN has expanded nationwide and served as the foundation for nine additional networks. Each network is tailored to regional needs, with a common focus on increasing the availability and diversity of talent with in-demand skills through a network approach.
Learn more here about how CAN has led the way to increased uptake of the professional apprenticeship model to help bridge skills, recruitment and retention gaps.
Business Roundtable continues to engage with policymakers on ways to modernize and improve the federal workforce development system. To learn more about Business Roundtable’s workforce priorities click here.
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