By Kylie Parks, Arvada Chamber Director of Talent Pipeline Development
Last week, I had the opportunity to join Chambers from Williamsburg, Baton Rouge, and Ft. Collins in a meeting with the Stadler company in Salt Lake City, Utah. The goal of our visit was to learn more about the apprenticeship program it has implemented within the organization to develop its talent pipeline.
According to the company website, Stadler Rail is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams. It is also focused on niche products, such as being one of the last European manufacturers of rack railway rolling stock. Stadler Rail is headquartered in Bussnang, Switzerland.
Stadler is working towards building its apprenticeship model to follow best practices in its headquarters location. In Switzerland, apprenticeships are a part of the general education curriculum. Students have the opportunity to choose a general education path or an apprenticeship path. When students choose the apprenticeship path, they do a portion of general education with a heavy emphasis on working a curriculum with a company to develop skills in their chosen career pathway.
Currently at Stadler, they onboard 10-15 students a year to go through a 3-year program that allows them to come out on the other end with an associates degree and a job offer in their field of choice within the organization. While this is a hefty investment, the team agrees that it comes out as a wash in the end. While each participant that makes it through the program has so far taken a role with their company, the team highlighted that is not a requirement. They are truly focused on supporting students in building skills in their trade which could support any business in their field, and students have a recognized national associates degree that could support them on their next path.
In Switzerland, they invest billions of dollars into developing and supporting apprenticeship programs, and this has proven successful for them, as 70% of their workforce comes through these programs. Colorado has around the same population and currently invests in the low millions, and only 0.01% of workers are through apprenticeships.
This work is not a sprint, but a marathon. The good news is that Colorado just became a State Apprenticeship Agency. The state is moving in the right direction to support the growth of these programs in the state. To learn more about the state’s new agency, visit their website: apprenticeship.colorado.gov.
B.O.L.D. 2026 is a five-year regional economic strength and resiliency initiative of the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber developed BOLD 2026 in consultation with private and public sector leaders and partners in Arvada, Jefferson / Adams Counties, Metro Denver and the state of Colorado. One goal of B.O.L.D. 2026 is to grow our talent to meet the needs of employers and job seekers. Learn more about our talent challenges and work here.
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