Apprenticeships have a new role beyond the trades
CHICAGO - Rigoberto Velazquez had a bachelor's degree in psychology from DePaul University and a steady job at a home health agency, but wasn't sure what he really wanted to do with his life. So he started taking classes part-time at Wilbur Wright community college, part of the City Colleges of Chicago, where he fell in love with computers.
Velazquez went on to earn an associate's degree in computer information systems, and soon was in a pilot apprenticeship program at Accenture, a professional services company, working in the information technology department alongside colleagues with advanced technology degrees.
When the pilot ended, Velazquez and the three other apprentices were hired, which he doubts would have been possible had they not had the chance to prove their worth.
"I was beside myself, I would have been happy with a help desk job anywhere just to get my foot in the door,"
