Dusty Johnson: “It is National Apprenticeship Week. We have 7 million unfilled jobs in this country, and many of them are in the skilled…”

“It is National Apprenticeship Week. We have 7 million unfilled jobs in this country, and many of them are in the skilled trades. We have got to close that gap, and I think apprenticeships can help. There are companies like Midwestern Mechanical in Sioux Falls who understand that and have created their own in-house apprenticeship programs. Their apprentices get free classes while they work 40 hours a week in their field. They earn while they learn. Unlike many college students, they finish their program with a license, with a skill, with a job, and without college debt. Now, as we look forward to how do we grow this economy and how do we do a better job, we have to understand that, yes, 4-year degrees are important, but they are not the only way to close that skill gap. I think that in-house apprenticeships like those at Midwestern Mechanical show us an important way forward. ____________________”