November 17-24th is National Apprenticeship Week—the 10th anniversary of the event, to be exact; it’s a time for industry stakeholders to highlight successes and showcase the value of the program. The apprenticeship program matches workers who want to learn a skill with an instructional program and employers who will teach and employ them. Tucker Paving has been a part of the construction industry for thirty years, and we’ve seen firsthand the importance of finding skilled workers. There’s no denying the benefits of the apprenticeship program for workers and the construction industry alike.

Benefits for The Apprentice

There are numerous benefits for those who enter an apprenticeship program. They include:

  • Skill development utilizing structured training with experienced mentors that includes thousands of hours of on-the-job training and hundreds of hours of classroom training.
  • Avoiding the student debt of college.
  • Offering a long-term career pathway that will generally result in nationally recognized credentials and the opportunity for significant earnings.
  • Usually considered a full-time employee from the first day with program progression pay increases and the opportunity for benefits like healthcare coverage. 

Benefits for the Construction Industry

The apprenticeship program is beneficial for more than the apprentice; it’s also good for the construction industry. Construction is one of the industries that are the backbones of the economy. The apprenticeship program develops a highly skilled workforce that is able to meet the needs of the construction industry and keep it humming.

The construction industry has long dealt with a shortage of skilled workers, and the apprenticeship program creates a pipeline to develop skilled workers to fill the need. Workers can enter these programs at any time: fresh out of high school, after a career change, after leaving the military, and even later in life.

At Tucker Paving, after three decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry, we know our employees are our greatest asset! Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or use our contact form online, to inquire about your next project!