How Does Apprenticeship Work
A New Take On A Time Proven System
It was 3:30 pm when the school bus stopped at my farm driveway. Six high school seniors got off and by 3:45 they had signed in and taken their places in our on-farm poultry slaughter house and egg processing center. In the next two hours, after saying a prayer to thank the birds about to be processed for giving their lives so our customers could eat healthy food, we humanely processed two hundred chickens.
Let me step back a little. It was 1994 and I had researched and developed the Modern American Free-Range Poultry Production System. A major part of the system was on-farm processing of the poultry raised. This system was fully endorsed by the Human Society of the U.S. After I taught myself how to process the birds I needed more help.
So, I went to the high school agriculture department and received permission to speak to the FFA students about working with me. Six agreed after I explained to them that after they were trained and were working up to speed I would pay them adult wages. Another stipulation was that if they wanted to move on I would appreciate it if they would ask another student
t to try out for their job. This system worked for us all and we never were short of workers.
Not only did these folks do excellent work, they enjoyed the collaborative atmosphere we shared. Many actually sang as they worked. This system worked well for over six years until we moved to Missouri.
Why do I bring this all up now? Because with the high costs of education after high school, apprenticeship is getting a renewed look. Most any job that requires skill pays a very good wage. Right now, some of the highest paying jobs are in areas such as auto repair, HVAC services, plumbing, computer maintenance, painting and decorating and building. All of these jobs are best learned by apprenticing a skilled worker who is already working the field of choice.
Sure it is a growing field in many community colleges and trade schools but there is a serious drawback: Like colleges, attending these schools takes time and costs money that if not paid up-front leaves the student with debt to pay off after school.
In apprenticeship the student typically makes a small wage while learning a marketable skill. As the apprentice becomes more skilled the wages typically rise accordingly. In many cases the apprentice gains a job working with the teacher.
Result: A debt-free student. I will go into more detail about how this all works in a forthcoming post.
Before I go I will share some information about what is going to happen here in the near future: I will be adding video and audio within this Substack and it will be available for watching at a time of your choosing. Be on the lookout for these improvements soon.
Do you have any questions or comments about this post? If so, let’s carry on this conversation in the comments. My audience has been growing each week. Please share this with anyone you think would be interested. Thank you!
Herman Beck-Chenoweth, The REAL Old Buzzard
Yes, trade schools have become expensive, however, no where near as a college tuition. Young people these days are confused about their paths. Apprenticeship is a wonderful way to explore the possibilities. Good article.