I enjoy listening to Mike Rowe. In addition to his captivating narrative voice, he has a personality that comes through in how he tells a story. From the star of Dirty Jobs to the voice for Deadliest Catch and his Returning the Favor series, his voice pulls you into what is happening. It’s just fun to listen. In 2008, Mike started the mikeroweWORKS Foundation (mikeroweworks.org), which focuses on filling skilled labor gaps. I love that concept. In the case of American trades, there are plenty of jobs and a limited number of skilled workers. Since 2020 many industries have experienced challenging staffing gaps and talent deficiencies. Talented workers, in all professions, are extremely valuable resources. If you have an army of them working for you, the outcomes are limitless. Identify, Recruit, Train The challenge is figuring out the most effective way to identify, recruit, train, and employ their talents. In vocational trades, such as electrical, plumbing, ironwork, and carpentry, an apprenticeship often provides the education required to become a professional. It’s a wonderful model. To learn a skill, new workers spend time with a talented professional who has honed their skills through years of experience. That seasoned professional is then challenged to teach those experience-based skills to an incoming worker. On-the-job training in action. Now, consider the banking industry for a second. How do incoming workers learn their trade? How do they learn about the business of banking? How do they learn to solve customer problems? How do they learn to manage their projects or time? How do they learn skills that improve their productivity and work product? In many cases, it is on-the-job training without the structure and purpose embedded in the apprenticeship model. Banking Apprenticeship Perhaps it is time to take a tool out of the vocational education toolbox and apply it in banking. If banking wants to develop a highly-skilled labor force, why not commit to Banking Needs Apprenticeships By Tom Hershberger Cross Financial Chairman and Founder coloradobankers.org 6
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