Apprenticeship Career Paths Are Critical for Young People | Matt Poischbeg | TEDxSnoIsleLibraries

Matt believes secondary education systems should restore apprenticehips as school-endorsed paths to career and life success.


Plastics industry VP and general manager Matt Poischbeg believes that much of his success in life stems from the life and technical skills he acquired as an at-risk teen in Germany. He apprenticed as a 16 year old on a farm and parlayed those skills when he came to the Pacific Northwest as a young man to climb from a mail room intern to the corporate level.

[awonderingoneil]

Over the pond here in the UK, Apprenticeships form the backbone of our economy, we have BTech's that are funded by big businesses such as BAE, Armed forces, Rolls Royce and so many others such as the National trust for those of us who hold our Countries heritage in high regard. I am happy to say I have completed my 5 year apprenticeship program with the National Trust in Blacksmithing, following my great-grandads work. Apprenticeships equip you with knowledge, financial stability and a great deal of both connections and friends to support you later down the line.

Awesome talk, definitely worth sharing.

[corski]

I think I could have written this speech. Matt, you are right on target! I was a school board member for 9 years and a vocal proponent of apprenticeships and CTE. It is unfortunately a message that educators simply do not want to entertain. Skilled trades and CTE are completely foreign to educators as few of them have ever held a job outside of education. A significant part of why so many of our kids struggle academically is due to the fact that most of what is taught is irrelevant. Classroom instruction is not at all geared toward preparing students to survive in the real world. This is not the teachers' fault - the entire system is set up to fail at teaching real world skills. This happens for many reasons so don't think it's the teachers' fault. CTE can and should be set up to teach marketable, real world skills at the high school level. Educators often refuse to acknowledge this is even possible, even though it's being done very effectively in small pockets throughout the US. Here's the big secret - Well designed CTE programs actually improve student learning at all levels! RELEVANCE is the key to effective teaching and learning. If what your'e teaching has little relevance to the real world, it's no shock that kids don't want to sit still for it. I was bored in school just like Matt and served an apprenticeship as well. 30+ years of steady, highly paid employment have been the result. Apparently it's better to have "the college experience" and rack up thousands in debt to get a college degree, only to be qualified to go serve coffee because you have no marketable skills? That's what I see happening WAY too often to make me a believer in such ridiculously flawed idealism. "College for all" is a fallacy that needs to leave our educational system.

[susandipietro]

Polished presentation, inspiring personal example, timely and constructive. This is hope for our youth and for our society.

[coreygrimes]

Ugh. I WISH I was taught about the trades 8 years ago. Now here I am, 26, struggling, college dropout, and just NOW looking into becoming an electrician or carpenter. If I would have started right out of high school, or even right after I dropped out, I would be solid right now! I would be a journeyman in my field....ugh....

[theo]

Minimal requirements: 2 years of (x) and 3 certificates for (x). Bachelor degree is a plus!

[anthonyelikene]

Igbo Apprenticeship remains the largest and the most successful apprenticeship incubator

[tl]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Im a local business owner in Washington looking for apprentices. Have never heard of AJAC until now!

[sharmaneryan]

where are they?? and not only apprenticeship jobs, but what about some job coaches. Let's start hiring people to help our youth and younger generations become successful. Every company out there can afford to do this one way or another. A job coach can handle 20 or more in training a day. Let's go back to what it needs to be. High tech too. Tired of this country not skilled. We are, they are and so many in waiting are as well.

[angielnix]

Wow, this one goes down as one of my favorite Ted Talks!! Great points right on target with our education system.