Baltimore’s TranZed Apprenticeships brings in tech training from Steve Wozniak’s Woz U

An apprenticeship program based in Baltimore is teaming with an edtech company cofounded by PC pioneer Steve Wozniak.

TranZed Apprenticeships will incorporate content from Woz U into programming that’s preparing workers for tech careers on the job. The collaboration will provide over 2,000 hours of content.

“Getting a technical education is the best investment you can make. Period,” said Wozniak, who came to prominence as a cofounder of Apple and remains influential in the tech world, in a statement. “Nowadays, there’s all this new technology that we can use to solve the world’s problems and not enough people to do it.”

TranZed aims to provide apprenticeships in cybersecurity, data science, and mobile and web development. This includes on-the-job training, which is paid, where the participants are learning new skills as they work. Woz U’s content is designed around providing training in a short period of time, and is continuously updating content to stay current.

“That allows us to make our apprenticeships really relevant,” said Tranzed Apprenticeships President Paul Champion, adding that it provides flexibility to adapt in a way that “allows us to respond to the exact needs of employers.”

Once thought of as the realm of building trades, apprenticeships are increasingly entering into the conversation in technology fields. Building on an established program in the U.K., TranZed expanded into the U.S by way of Baltimore in 2016, bringing a formal program.

For those looking to enter the field or transition careers, it provides a mix of training and work to help get started. TranZed’s apprenticeships also include classroom instruction, coaching, the chance to earn credentials and optional college credit. Apprentices start earning when they begin a job, then earn more as they gain skills. And lots of companies need tech talent, so they’re seeking new ways to bring folks in.

At the heart of it all there’s a broader message: Rather than education and industry being separate areas, both have a role in training the future workforce.

“There is no better tech icon than Woz to partner with to get that message to employers in the U.S.,” he said.