These slides are based on the paper "Create an Apprenticeship Program: Bridge Your Talent Gap". Download the latest version at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/apprentice.us/Apprenticeship-Programs.pdf

1. Apprenticeship Programs
CLOSE THE TALENT GAP
by David H. Hoover

2. Nearly 20% of
18-24 year olds
in the US are
unemployed.
Meanwhile…
50% of US
employers are
unable to hire
into critical
roles.
The Talent Gap in the United States
represents unprecedented latent
human potential

3. How will you fill your critical roles?
Continue trying to fill the Or change the box?
same old box of job
requirements?

4. There are many solutions
Apprenticeship Programs are one solution, and they’re
a solution that many businesses can implement.

5. Apprenticeship
programs for
software developers
are on the rise.
Formal
apprenticeship
programs for
software developers
have been popping
up since the 90’s.
I’ve been involved
in apprenticeship
since 2002. Need more software developers?
Grow them.

6. But wait. Why?
Apprentices are:
 Enthusiastic
 Moldable
 Loyal
Apprenticeships:
 Grow culture through relationships
 Expand your hiring abilities
 Create next-generation expertise

7. Recommended Reading

8. To Create an Apprenticeship Program
 Mentor > Team > Business Owner
 Sustainable Ratio
 Culture over Curriculum
 In the Trenches
 Pet Project
 Milestones
 Feedback Loops

9. Mentor > Team > Business Owner
1. A mentor who is excited to work with a beginner
2. A team that is willing to incorporate a beginner
3. Business owners who are willing to allow beginners
to participate
4. A champion to lay these foundations

10. Sustainable Ratio
 Exceeding an overall 1:1 practitioner:apprentice ratio
is A Bad Idea
 Apprentices working with apprentices on Real Stuff
is like planting pain
 Some mentors will be able to handle more than one
apprentice at a time
 All mentors will need to take time off from
mentoring
 Be patient, don’t rush it

11. Culture over Curriculum
 Unlearn the classroom-based education model
 Don’t focus on curriculum
 Do focus on creating a beginner-friendly culture
 Lunchtime study groups
 Lead by example: Ask the stupid questions
 A learning-oriented culture takes pressure off your
mentors

12. In the Trenches
 Hands-on, real world learning is how
apprenticeships have always worked
 Apprentices should spend the majority of their time
elbow-to-elbow with the team
 Will be overwhelming at first, but after about 2
months, they should be contributing regularly

13. Pet Project
 An independent project
 A “Breakable Toy”
 Must be inherently interesting to the apprentice
 Often leads to tech specialty

14. Milestones
 Periodic milestones force you to make the decision to
hire, continue, or fail the apprentice
 An oversight group of 4-8 people attend a “milestone
meeting” to help make the decision
 Expectations should be “knock my socks off” high
 Typical program is 6 months with 2-month
milestones
 Be consistent
 Use your entry-level criteria for hiring

15. Milestone Meetings
 Experience report from the trenches
 Pet project demo
 Pet project code review
 10 minute presentation by the apprentice
 Retrospective
 Make the hire/continue/fail decision
 Mentor communicates decision

16. Feedback Loops
 Milestone-level: retrospective
 Weekly-level: mentor meeting
 Daily-level: pair programming, code reviews

17. Apprenticeship Program Ingredients
 Mentor > Team > Business Owner
 Sustainable Ratio
 Culture over Curriculum
 In the Trenches
 Pet Project
 Milestones
 Feedback Loops

18. Um, we already have an internship program
Apprenticeship Internship
 High commitment in  Temporary student
both directions worker
 Working toward  Typically during
employment summer vacation
 Strong mentoring  May have mentoring
component involved
 Half a year or more  A couple months

19. Finding viable
mentors tends
to be the
limiting factor
when people are
looking to start
or expand their
apprenticeship
programs.
Be a Mentor

20. Thank Your Mentors
Visit http://apprentice.us and tell us about the people
who helped you get here.

21. Q&A
AND THANKS FOR YOUR TIME!
Slides at
http://www.slideshare.net/redsquirrel/apprenticeship-programs
by David H. Hoover
@redsquirrel