City of VP hosts meeting for businesses to learn about apprenticeships

A program designed to get more people engaged in the workforce that was originally tossed around three years ago is again gaining traction after a meeting held Friday at Ville Platte City Hall.
According to Mayor Jennifer Vidrine, the plan for the meeting was to “gather information about job apprenticeship programs to implement in Ville Platte and Evangeline Parish.”
She added, “I think the reason it’s a good program is because it will present an opportunity to give people a second chance at employment. We have a lot of young people in this city and in this parish who are walking the streets with skills on top of skills. All they need is a chance, an opportunity, and a venue to where they can excel.”
Leading the meeting was the state director of the apprenticeship program from Louisiana Workforce Commission, Joseph Hollins.
Hollins went through five key components of the registered apprenticeship program that begin with classroom instruction, employer involvement, and structured on the job training.
“The fourth component,” Hollins said, “is rewards for skills gain. It’s a graduated wage schedule. It tells the younger generation they need to learn all of these things before you can earn this salary you are requesting to earn. Usually you start an apprentice at around 50-percent.”
He continued, “The last component is a nationally recognized credential. Everyone who finishes the program receives a nationally recognized credential from our office. If someone finishes a carpentry program in Ville Platte, they can take that certificate to Virginia, and it would be recognized in Virginia.”
For the registered apprenticeship program to be successful, Hollins explained there needs to be a trade provider along with an employer and a program sponsor.
“The program sponsor is the person who is going to be administratively responsible for the registered apprenticeship program,” said Hollins. “That’s the person making sure the apprentice goes to class, logs in their work hours, and things of that nature.”
“The program sponsor can be many different people,” he continued. “The program sponsor can be the employer, the trade provider, or the a third party like the City of Ville Platte.”
Mayor Vidrine concluded, “Hopefully, we can kick this thing off and not let it die like it did last time. Reverend Tillman Ben had the great idea, and somehow it didn’t get off the ground. But, this time, we want to make sure it not only gets off the ground but takes off to soar and fly.”