TCC to host Virginia Apprenticeship Symposium on Nov. 16

Tidewater Community College’s Apprenticeship Institute will host the first Virginia Apprenticeship Symposium, a forum for college, community, industry and government leaders to share best practices and expansion opportunities in registered apprenticeships throughout the commonwealth.

The free event will be Nov. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Virginia Beach Campus Student Center, 1700 College Crescent.

Apprenticeships combine on-the-job training and related academic instruction, allowing a student to learn while earning a paycheck.

TCC’s Apprenticeship Institute partners with more than 20 Hampton Roads employers to support tailored apprenticeship programs, which enroll approximately 1,300 students.

The symposium will include opening remarks from Daniel DeMarte, chief academic officer and vice president of academic affairs at TCC and a keynote address from Robert Lerman, a professor of economics at American University who established the American Institute for Innovative Apprenticeship.

Separate sessions will address registered apprenticeships for women in the trades, veterans and youth.

“We’re working to be a convener within the region and in the state to both share our expertise about apprenticeship and to increase the opportunities for collaboration among all those who could benefit from the registered apprenticeship model,” said Todd Estes, director of TCC’s Apprenticeship Institute. “Having all of the stakeholders in one room dedicated to this topic where we can hear and learn from each other has the ability to bring about a potential synergy that we can all benefit from.”

Presenters will include the Virginia Department of Labor & Industry, Division of Registered Apprenticeship; Shenandoah Valley Workforce Development Board; and Community College Workforce Alliance.

By 2022, 500,000 new jobs in Virginia will require post-secondary education or training. The average starting salary for an apprentice in Virginia is $50,000.

Registration is required for interested employers, please visit tcc.edu/apprenticeship for more information or call Estes at 757-822-1784.