Apprenticeships Are Evolving—and They’re Powering the Next Generation of Tech Talent

By Emily Schaffer, Vice President, Strategic Alliances, YUPRO Placement

When most people hear the word apprenticeship, they picture welding torches or healthcare scrubs—not servers, code, or cloud environments. But in today’s rapidly changing labor market, apprenticeships are redefining how companies build technical and professional talent for the future.

Artificial intelligence and automation have reshaped what “entry level” means. Many of the repetitive or process-based tasks once assigned to new hires are now automated. Employers instead need people who can learn continuously, adapt quickly, apply new skills, and upskill to meet a company’s evolving needs.  That’s exactly what the new era  apprenticeships are designed to do.

Apprenticeships Redefined

At YUPRO Placement, we’re making modern apprenticeships accessible for employers across a wide range of technical and professional roles—from IT and project management to digital marketing. Through partnerships with trusted training and workforce-development organizations, we help companies tap into pre-trained, job-ready talent while maintaining flexibility in how they hire.  More importantly, we remove many of the road blocks to implementing apprenticeship programs.Each apprenticeship pathway looks different depending on the skill area and training partner involved. One of our most innovative examples focuses on a skill set that few companies can easily source today: mainframe systems talent.

Reviving a Critical Workforce: The Franklin Skills Mainframe Partnership

To address the growing shortage of mainframe professionals, YUPRO Placement has teamed up with Franklin Skills, an organization specializing in technical training for this niche but essential field.

Mainframes power much of the world’s financial infrastructure, yet few computer-science programs teach this expertise. Franklin Skills recruits and prepares candidates through a rigorous pre-apprenticeship, combining 100–120 hours of coursework and an aptitude assessment tailored specifically to mainframe systems.

After completing training, YUPRO Placement connects these emerging professionals with employers who depend on mainframe infrastructure. Through our Employer of Record (EOR) model, companies can onboard apprentices without adding to headcount—while we manage payroll, insurance, and compliance.This try-before-you-hire pathway creates a sustainable pipeline of talent for one of technology’s most indispensable, and least replenished, workforces.

Why Apprenticeships Work Better Than Traditional Hiring

Apprenticeships provide employers with candidates who have already demonstrated their interest and aptitude through training and assessment. Because apprentices have validated foundational skills and experience applying them in simulated environments, they adapt faster and ramp up more effectively once they’re on the job.

Unlike traditional hiring paths—where a college graduate may leave after a few months upon realizing the role isn’t the right fit—apprenticeships align expectations from the start. The result is stronger retention, smoother onboarding, and employees who are ready to evolve with the needs of the business.

A Model Extending to Fill Other Talent Gaps 

The Franklin Skills partnership is just one example of how YUPRO Placement is redefining what an apprenticeship can be. Across our network of more than 50 nonprofit and training partners nationwide, we help employers access emerging talent pipelines in a variety of fields—from IT support and cybersecurity to project management and digital marketing.

We serve as a single point of contact connecting employers to multiple training programs, reducing administrative burden and ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience across apprenticeship pathways.

Learning Where It Matters Most

There’s no substitute for learning under real-world conditions. Apprenticeships allow early-career professionals to grow within live teams, solving real problems in real time. For employers, it’s an opportunity to shape talent that fits their systems, culture, and pace of innovation.

And for apprentices, it’s more than a job—it’s the start of a career built on curiosity, adaptability, and lifelong learning. Those qualities will remain essential no matter how technology evolves.