The annual Student Registered Apprenticeship Showcase will be held January 31 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Salem Civic Center.  This showcase provides students who may be interested in applying for a student registered apprenticeship next school year to meet with partner businesses and learn more about each of the apprenticeships offered.

Managed by the Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) in Virginia, the registered apprenticeship program offers a unique work-based learning model for 16–18-year-old students.  Student apprentices work towards earning credentials associated with each business through employment training and instruction.  Apprentices are employed by the company.   Once the student completes the program, they are eligible for a Journeyman’s license.  This is a widely recognized credential that indicates the student has relevant training and is on the path to becoming a master in their industry.

The Student Registered Apprenticeship program began in the Roanoke Valley about six years ago with a pilot program by Roanoke County Public Schools, the Va. Department of Labor and Industry and the Western Virginia Water Authority.  Salem City Public Schools and Roanoke City Public Schools joined the regional program a few years later.  Today, more than two dozen businesses have hosted student apprenticeships, and many students have been hired by their partner business to work full-time after graduation.