The Beautiful but Budding Idea of Tech Apprenticeships

"What's Next...?", she asked.

"Folake [not her real name], 34, living in the almost criminally dense state of the largest black nation in the world, staring at the walls of her one-bedroom apartment brooding over "what's next?". Lagos state, fondly called "Eko" (pronounced 'echo') by many Nigerians, is 'the final boss of grit' for many Nigerians. Defeating the challenge set by the final boss means you'll defeat seen and unseen obstacles anywhere in the world.

"What's next for my career?", she pondered. She studied a non-tech related field - Biochemistry, but since jobs in that career line were not forthcoming, she decided to take a plunge into the tech field. "Rumor has it on social media", she thought, "that tech is the new oil". "Time to drill for some oil!", she mulled. Coincidentally, Microsoft Leap had an apprenticeship opening for Software Engineers. And in that gloomy evening of brooding in her one-room apartment, she applied to the role, and the rest, as they say, is history.

"What's next?" could well be a sobering thought for a disillusioned school leaver or forlorn furloughed worker, or rather, could be a rallying cry of the thoughtful and determined executive in all cadres of corporate leadership looking to make a difference.

Did Folake get in? Read to the end.

Apprenticeships: A New Word or Idea?

An apprenticeship is an arrangement in which someone learns an art, trade or job, by doing. In South-Eastern Nigeria, there's a pretty sophisticated framework of the apprenticeship model called "the Igbo Apprenticeship System" - of the Nigerian Igbo tribe - fondly called Igba-Odibo or Igba-Boi - that can be traced back to the 1970s, when Igbo leaders propelled the framework as a way to positively curtail young men leaving the region after the Nigerian civil war that spanned 3 years (circa, 1967).

This indentured system has 3 phases: talent identification (of the entrepreneurial skill of a future apprentice), scholarship (or knowledge training that includes "compatibility checks" which verifies willingness to learn, resilience and trustworthiness - failure to pass 2/3 of these tests lead to termination of the apprenticeship) and graduation (or clearance that may include some form of settlement - payments in lump sums, in most instances).

With the success of this system in creating millionaires over the years in Nigeria, which has, in fact, gotten a mention in an Harvard Business Review (HBR) article, there's little argument to be made against the positive impact and significance of the Igbo apprenticeship system even beyond South-Eastern Nigeria.

Why Apprenticeships...Why NOT "Internships"?

A few months ago, the Microsoft Leap "Apprenticeship" Programme was formally introduced to a few Microsoft, Nigeria colleagues. While some greeted the idea with zest and gusto, others inquired summarily, "how does an apprenticeship differ from an internship, as we know it?".

1. Apprenticeships go along with instructional learning

This mirrors phase 2 of "the Igbo Apprenticeship System" as enumerated above. Internships generally don't have an instructional portion. The 16-week Microsoft Leap Apprenticeship Programme has a 4-week classroom portion that's a intentional attempt to distil fundamental concepts to apprentices. Internships are the antithesis of internships in the context of a controlled learning environment - the classroom.

Intuitively, before doing, one needs to learn. This makes sense when the goal is bringing in those without prior knowledge of a tech field, into tech.

2. Apprenticeships guarantee hands-on learning

Fundamentally, "apprenticeships" are tied to vocational trades - mason, carpentry, welding, etc., and for good reason - no one learns to be a mason by writing essays in a corner of a university library. It's always about doing. After the classroom training, Microsoft Leap apprentices work within a real-world team to whet their theoretical knowledge in the domain of impactful projects. While internships could expose an intern to the business environment, they're mostly building from an unstructured (non-classroom) basis.

It's always about doing.

3. The pay is better in an Apprenticeship

"An unpaid apprenticeship" already sounds like an anathema compared to "an unpaid internship". The case for pay in internships has made activists of journalists who call out this misnomer in pointed terms. There's no way you will read this article, for instance, without having your blood boil just a little bit. However, in many cases, an apprenticeship is directly tied to a paid employment.

4. An Apprenticeship is a job

Unlike internships, apprentices are paid employees, who earn a remuneration for their work. The salary or wages typically start at about 50 to 60% of their eventual wages, and this progresses through the programme as they master more skills.

Where are we on Tech Apprenticeships?

That is probably the question on your lips after the ramblings about "apprenticeships" so far. Really, where are we precisely on the subject of tech apprenticeships?

As of April of 2021, despite all the advantages apprenticeships in general provide, tech apprenticeships represent less than 1% of all American apprenticeships. Thankfully, the Biden administration introduced the new National Apprenticeship Act, that commits $3 billion over the next 5 years to expanding apprenticeship programmes. There's a variation of this in Nigeria called the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). While this mirrors the overarching idea of gaining real-world experience, implementation has remained confined to undergraduate students of universities.

Unsurprisingly, "apprenticeships" gives a perception of "learned trades", but that's changing. In many European countries, tech apprenticeships have become the go-to route for absorbing diverse tech talents into the tech ecosystem.

This is 'budding territory', filled with potential, as the current trend suggests.

What's in it for You as a (Corporate or Government) Leader or Future Apprentice?

As a Future Tech Apprentice

Like Folake, there's always trepidation when the thought of "what’s next?" arises. You're enough. There are a number of tech apprenticeships including Multiverse, Twitter, Amazon and others who have seen the need to provide the "learn as you earn" environment to create a more competitive future workforce.

These are all great programmes overall but pardon my bias regarding the Microsoft Leap programme, that gives tech apprenticeship opportunities in multiple areas - Software Engineering, Technical Programme Management, Data Analysis, UI/UX and other upcoming pathways. Since 2015, the Microsoft Leap programme has partnered with internal Microsoft teams and Microsoft partner companies to recruit and upskill hundreds of diverse talents around the world. If you're not yet doing so, please follow the Microsoft Leap LinkedIn page and keep your devices nearby for updates in case of new opportunities.

If you want insights to a Microsoft Leap alumnae's experience, check out Michelle Tanzil's LinkedIn posts about her experience in the Microsoft Leap programme. This article of hers, for instance, does a good job of delineating her experiences.

It's true that in developing economies, in Africa or parts of the Middle East, there's a glaring paucity of data, but it's also true that we also have systems that have mirrored this budding trend of apprenticeships, which has been replicated progressively in tech environments. That's an encouragement to look out for apprenticeship-related opportunities, as this new budding trend, like a budding seed, takes root.

As a C-Suite Executive or Leader

Yes, "apprenticeships" sounds like something from the medieval ages where folks sent birds to deliver messages, yet it represents a burgeoning trend for many in advanced as well as developing economies.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 3143 Apprenticeship programmes were established nationwide in FY 20, representing a 73% growth from 2009 levels". That looks pretty impressive until you compare it with this old (circa, 2013) but prescient article that points out that, "today, there are 358,000 registered apprentices in the United States—just 7 percent of the number of apprentices in England after adjusting for population size."

For the avoidance of doubt, given the age of the article linked prior, the most recent statistic for number of registered apprentices in the United States is ~600,000 (a 100% increase that should be roughly equivalent to the United Kingdom's trendline in any case). However, the point still stands: there's both a business opportunity and a moral obligation to provide younglings - straight out of or still in school, and oldies - who can't afford to forget their aspirin tablets at home, but who are looking to transition to tech, an opportunity to make their lives better.

There's both a business opportunity and a moral obligation to provide younglings and oldies the opportunity to make their lives better

Furthermore, "an extensive 2009 study that surveyed almost 1,000 employers across Canada found that employers receive a benefit of $1.47 for every $1 spent on apprenticeship training. What’s more, they see the cost benefits and revenues increase each year over the course of an apprenticeship. Importantly, these returns on investment existed in every geographic region of Canada and across companies of all sizes".

Most importantly, by recognizing the role apprenticeships play in bridging the gap of racial and socio-economic inequalities, whether in the sand dunes of Northern Nigeria or the Miami beach in the United States, apprenticeships represent a viable path for absorbing diverse talent who otherwise don't have the opportunity.

Finally, yes, Folake got the job!

Note: You can email Microsoft Leap to ideate around ways to partner. You can also contact me directly.