by Daniel Parker, RDPFS Intern
Since this week is National Apprenticeship Week (November 14-20, 2022), it seems appropriate to report on the collaboration between the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA) and leading human resources (HR) blog workology.com in producing the Apprenticeship for All Podcast. This offering focuses on how inclusive apprenticeships help people with disabilities find and retain employment. An initiative of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) since 2020, PIA works with employers and apprenticeship intermediaries to design programs enabling people with disabilities to enhance skills while also meeting employer talent requirements. The show’s host, Workology’s Jessica Miller-Merrell, interviews a diverse array of guests with disabilities on how inclusive apprenticeships helped them achieve their career objectives. Examples include the most recent episode on how a military veteran’s apprenticeship helped her to find a career in cybersecurity; another on how apprenticeship helped a neurodivergent person gain marketable skills in internet technology (IT); and a conversation between colleagues with various disabilities, including visual impairment, on what employers and coworkers can do to bring about an inclusive work environment. Other episodes feature interviews with experts and consultants on the impacts of inclusive apprenticeships. For example, one episode covered apprenticeships in nontraditional sectors, another apprenticeships for veterans with disabilities, and a third highlighted how inclusive apprenticeships in IT can alleviate talent shortages. The podcast is available here as well as on all the major podcast apps.
