If you are not familiar with apprenticeships, they are paid, employer-directed, work-based skills development programs that typically last from six months to six years. They usually combine both hands-on and classroom instruction and at the completion of a program, graduates are presented either credentials or occupational certificates.
Using the GI Bill
Veterans with GI Bill entitlement left can use their GI Bill education benefit to train in a VA-approved apprenticeship. The amount you get paid depends on which GI Bill program you are using. If using the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (MGIB-AD), then payments, in addition to what the employer pays you, are on a sliding scale:
- Months 1 to 6 – $1,657.50 per full month
- Months 7 to 12 – $1,215.50 per full month
- In excess of 12 months – $773.50 per full months.
The reason the payments slide down is as you become more proficient, the amount the employer pays you increases so between the two payments, you are making at least the same amount, and in many cases more, as you acquire more skills.
If using the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the payment plan is much different. Employers must pay at least 50% of a journeyman wage. During the training, periodic wage increases must be granted and by the last full month of training, the student is earning at least 85% of a fully trained journeyman employee.
But that is not all. Under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, apprenticeship students also get a monthly stipend which is equivalent to the monthly housing allowance while in an apprenticeship training program. During the first 6 months, the rate is 100% of the authorized monthly housing allowance for the zip code where the training occurs; the second six months, the rate drops to 80%; for each additional 6-month periods, the rate drops 20%, until the student reaches journeyman status and pay. Apprenticeship students are also authorized the book stipend which maxes out at $1,000 per year.
New Apprenticeship Opportunities
In the past, most apprenticeship training programs were limited to the trades, with carpenter, plumber and electrician being the three most popular. But as recent as 2019, many different types of apprenticeship programs have sprung up, including:
- High-Volume Roles
- Industry and Employer Specific Skills
- Jobs New to the Labor Market
High-Volume Roles
Employers are using apprenticeships to fill high demand jobs. In 2021, the 25 occupations with the highest demand all had apprenticeship programs associated with them. While there are many success stories in regard to apprenticeships, one of the most successful is pharmacy technicians.
CVS was one of the first pharmacy companies to create their own apprenticeship in this career field; their program has since been replicated by other pharmacies … especially when the need for techs spiked due to COVID-19. In 2021, there were 154,000 job postings for pharmacy technicians.
Companies just could not wait for students to complete the formal pharmacy technician programs offered by community colleges and vocational/technical schools. Not only was time an issue, but also the schools did not have the seating capacity to churn out enough people to fill the demand.
