Apprenticeship program update: First cybersecurity cohort graduates
Our groundbreaking Apprenticeship program has lifted another group of SEIU Local 1000 members on a path to career improvement, this time, in the Information Technology’s Cybersecurity discipline.
12 apprentices, from nine different state departments, began the training program in 2021. On Sept. 25th, they graduated their program and are now well equipped for their new careers as cybersecurity professionals to help protect the State of California and its infrastructure from digital attacks.
This group of apprentices was comprised of a range of classifications from Kay Data Operator to Senior Accounting Officer to Associate Governmental Program Analyst. Their training lasted two years, and they are now qualified as professionals in the Information Technology Specialist I classification.
Already, eight of the participants have promoted or are actively in the process of promoting. Beyond this additional training, many of the graduates are working on obtaining industry-recognized professional certifications.
Upward mobility is a union value, and Local 1000 has worked to create new and innovative apprentice programs. We’ve created programs in health care, information technology, financial services, even a program that enables our members to explore career development in civil service.
Want to learn more? Click here to learn more about all the apprentice programs we’ve developed.
Apprenticeships couple on-the-job training with related study and instruction in order to increase workers’ skills and allow them to be more competitive in the job market. At the same time, workers continue to receive income, avoiding financial barriers that otherwise would prevent them from attaining education and new skills.