Upcoming info sessions for prospective apprentices

Harper College’s Apprenticeship program will continue its series of information sessions this summer for prospective students interested in earning a salary while learning the skills for a career and graduating with no debt.

Companies are positioned to hire Harper apprentices in general insurance and the advanced manufacturing fields of industrial maintenance mechanic, CNC precision machining and logistics/supply chain management. These flexible training programs combine job-related credit courses with structured on-the-job learning experiences.

The next information sessions will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays on August 1 and September 5 at the Wojcik Conference Center on Harper College’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. The July and August sessions will take place in Room W218; the September session will take place in Room W219.

Two recent reports support the vast benefits of earning a college degree.

According to a survey of 960,000 people by online salary information provider PayScale, nearly half of U.S. workers identify themselves as underemployed. The groups most likely to feel underemployed were those who completed some college but did not get a degree, and those with only a high school diploma or GED but no college coursework.

And while the economy has created 11.6 million new jobs since the recession, 11.5 million have gone to workers with at least some education beyond high school, the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce recently reported.

“Apprenticeships are beneficial to candidates who are looking for a job, underemployed, veterans, seeking a career change or wanting to gain further qualifications,” said Dr. Rebecca Lake, Dean of Workforce and Economic Development. “Harper apprentices graduate debt-free with years’ worth of work experience and a guaranteed job.”