Ivy Tech Community College is recognized throughout the state for its outstanding academic support of employer-sponsored apprenticeship programs.

Apprenticeship programs, which are initiated and sponsored by employers, allow companies of all sizes to develop formal training programs for key employees that include both academic coursework and on-the-job training. Employers can choose from a wide variety of industrial trades curriculum, including electronics, electrician, facilities maintenance, HVAC, machine repair, toolmaker, millwright, pattern repairer, pipefitter, sheet metal, and stationary power plant operator. Academic coursework can be conducted on campus or on the company site and is often adapted to meet the company's unique training needs.

The Ivy Tech Apprenticeship Coordinator works with each employer to determine the curriculum that best achieves company goals. The curriculum is designed to help apprentices succeed academically, ensure the consistent high quality of instructional delivery, and in many instances, help the company achieve grant funding for their apprenticeship program. Apprentices graduate to Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training Journeyperson status upon completion of these programs. This nationally recognized credential can also be coupled with a technical certificate or AAS degree for those apprentices who want to invest a little more effort beyond the apprenticeship program course requirements.

Many companies have discovered that an apprenticeship program is a strong selling point when attracting new clients, because it provides a nationally-recognized certification of employee skills and knowledge. It also gives the company access to a wide variety of resources and support from Ivy Tech Community College while developing highly skilled employees to achieve company goals. The companies who invest in an apprenticeship program will be less likely to be adversely affected when their most senior and experienced employees retire, thanks to fully trained apprentices who will be ready to assume higher levels of responsibility. Because an apprenticeship program involves a mutual commitment between employer and employee, many apprenticeship contracts include a commitment from the employee to remain with the company for a specified period of time after the completion of the training program.

Individuals interested in becoming apprentices should ask their employers if the company has an apprenticeship program or is interested in starting one.