How new apprenticeship program in Hartford will help students
HARTFORD — Officials on Wednesday announced a new apprenticeship program through Capital Community College that will give students the opportunity to jump-start their careers at Accenture.
The year-long program already has its first cohort of 16 students, with the possibility of new groups starting every two months. Participants do not need to have a college degree to qualify for the program at Accenture, a service company. Officials held a tape average on Capital’s campus Wednesday morning to officially launch the program.
“Our mission is really about post-graduate success,” said Dr. John Maduko, President of Connecticut State Community College. “So what is success after graduation? family and sustainable careers. Because this is also about people. This partnership with Accenture is a huge game changer not only for the Hartford community, but for CT State Community College and our campuses across the state, what we can do for people.”
Capital Community College CEO Duncan Harris, also calling it a “game changer,” said talks moved quickly ahead of the program’s launch once it was clear everyone was on board. The training program has the potential to be replicated statewide, especially as Connecticut’s 12 community colleges merge to form Connecticut State Community College this summer.
Nearly 25 percent of Accenture’s entry-level employees join the company through apprenticeship programs, said Ryan Oakes, Accenture’s global health and public services industry practices chair.
“Research clearly shows that community college students are focused on getting jobs that lead to career potential and better earnings,” he said. “It is also clear that sometimes these jobs are not accessible. Whether inaccessible due to degree requirements or other barriers, we — Accenture sees — see these apprenticeship programs and competency-based learning as a way to transform both opportunities and outcomes—people and, more importantly, ours Business.”
The apprenticeship program represents a new way for local and state officials to look at staff development, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said, because it provides students with an education but also prepares them for a path to actually starting a career.
“In many ways, Capital has made workforce training and development a core part of its mission,” Bronin said, “and is doing it in exactly the right way, which is to pave the way to an actual job that partners the curriculum , provides that space and encourages students to see this not just as a lesson or something to do with the semester, but as a pathway to a career.”
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