A new IT apprenticeship program is launching at Montgomery County Community College

Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) is launching its first-ever apprenticeship program with the goal of helping more residents find their way into fulfilling tech careers.

Officially called the MontcoWorks Apprenticeship Program for Information Technology, the program will start this spring.

Across Pennsylvania, apprenticeships are gaining favor, with more than 17,000 active this year, versus 10,000 a decade ago, according to apprenticeship.gov. MCCC did not share a specific enrollment goal — just that it aims to enroll as many apprentices as possible.

Members of MontcoWorks, the board that organizes workforce programming for the county, have been advocating for “earn and learn” opportunities for a long time, said Kyle Longacre, dean of workforce and economic development at MCCC. Jobs that participants may be eligible for after program completion include IT support specialists, network technicians and help desk technicians.

In his own career, he’s seen the value of hands-on instruction and noticed that students who experience that type of learning tend to have stronger careers down the road.

“That’s where we’re seeing more retention. That’s where we’re seeing more career fulfillment that they’re able to continue to move on. And that’s the roots of economic development,” Longacre told Technical.ly. Echoing a talking point we’ve heard across the state: “You want to develop jobs, you want to build these jobs and you want to keep these jobs within the region if at all possible.”

MCCC has been a training provider for apprenticeship programs in the past, but this is the first time the college is the intermediary and sponsor of an apprenticeship program, he said.

Applications for apprentices and partner companies are now open.

What students can expect from the MAP IT program

Students will complete 94 hours of training with MCCC before starting work. The program’s technical curriculum includes Cisco’s IT Essentials program and CompTIA’s A+ certification. Once students pass the first of two tests in the program, they will start working for a matched employer, paid an apprenticeship rate and assigned a mentor. The program is currently working with the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit-Office of Technology Services in Norristown and Open Tier Systems in Blue Bell.

During the 18-month program working as an apprentice, they will receive additional training once a week at MCCC.

“Part of our strategic plan here at Montgomery County Community College is really to help to align career pathways specifically into high-priority occupations where possible,” Longacre said. “We are looking to serve individuals throughout the Montgomery County region that have an interest in IT that want to seek a structured career pathway into IT, and the apprenticeship is a way to do so.”

One strategy to recruit students is through MCCC’s partnership with Montgomery County CareerLink. Longacre said MCCC intends to work with local high schools and career and technical centers to recruit as well.

The program is also focused on building good relationships with employers in the region and learning what companies’ workforce needs are. Longacre hopes this program can grow and adjust to meet other industries’ workforce needs, beyond IT.

The program should launch this spring, Larry Byron, director of workforce development for IT at MCCC, told Technical.ly. In the meantime, they are trying to partner with as many employers as possible because the number of accepted apprentices depends on how many job openings they can secure.

“It’s a real win-win for not only the apprentices getting a family-sustaining wage, and then a great job with a good company because we vetted the companies as well,” Byron said. [Companies are] getting that vetting of those individuals prior to hiring them, knowing the level of training that they’re getting, and being able to keep those employees once they’ve been hired.”

This story is a part of Technical.ly’s Pathways to Tech Careers Month. See the full 2024 editorial calendar.