Business

DOES Helps High School Students and Adults Find Apprenticeships

THE AFRO — Started in 2017, the Apprenticeship D.C. initiative was designed to offer viable alternative career pathways to traditional four-year colleges. An apprenticeship can run from one to five years depending on the occupation. After completion of the apprenticeship program, graduates receive a nationally recognized completion certificate.

Published

7 years ago

May 22, 2019

Oakland Post

By George Kevin Jordan

The District of Columbia Department of Employment Services celebrated the transition of six high school students and several adult candidates into apprenticeship programs last week at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), 900 7th Street N.W., in honor of National College Signing Day.

Started in 2017, the Apprenticeship D.C. initiative was designed to offer viable alternative career pathways to traditional four-year colleges. An apprenticeship can run from one to five years depending on the occupation. After completion of the apprenticeship program, graduates receive a nationally recognized completion certificate.

The high school students will enroll in the agency’s Career Bridge Pre-Apprenticeship program and, upon completion of the pre-apprenticeship program, will transition into registered apprenticeships.

“We really got this idea from our former first lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher Initiative,” said Dr. Unique Morris-Hughes Director, D.C. Department of Employment Services (DOES). “We said ‘why not arm the young people who made a conscious choice to do something positive in their life even if it means not going to a traditional college.’”

“So it feels amazing to have young people who are highlighted in a positive way that are making a conscious choice about themselves and have a plan for their life.”

Dr. Morris-Hughes said the short term goal is to “get as many people (as possible) who are interested in an apprenticeship.”

“Some people think that apprenticeship is just construction. But it isn’t. It’s financial services, information technology. So we want young people to be informed that they have a choice about their future.”

Dr. Morris-Hughes said the long term goals is to bring the program up to scale by adding more apprenticeships in different fields.

Stephen Courtien, D.C. Director of Baltimore-DC Building Trades said, since working with this program, they have placed about 42 people over the last year or so into apprenticeship programs. The organization operates 18 training centers throughout the Distrivt.

“Construction is key to everything,” Courtien said. “Being able to build stuff you see what’s happening with our infrastructure there’s going to be bigger spends on all of this in the near future and there’s a lack of skilled construction workers.”

Courtien said the partnership with D.C. is helping to introduce younger people to the trades, which offers a wide range of career options, and doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have an option of going to school as well.

“When you graduate your apprenticeship you can get your associate’s degree and most of the unions will help pay for you to get it. So it doesn’t limit you it actually opens up a lot of things.”

Knowing early on she didn’t want to attend a traditional college, but still wanting to become an engineer, Zyana Watts, an 18-year-old senior at Frank W. Ballou Senior High School, confided in her guidance counselor, who referred her to the apprenticeship program.

She now feels excited about the choice, and said, “I’m a girl, at the end of the day, in a male field, so I feel like I accomplished something.”

Lawrence Thompson, 22, said “It’s an honor. I take it as a blessing that they gave me this choice and I choose to run with it. Now I can advance to a career instead of just looking for a job. I see myself being a master bricklayer.”

Thomspon said he was thinking about college but added, “College wasn’t for me, mainly because of the cost, I didn’t have the money for it.”

According to the DOES there are over 800 nationally recognized trades. Just some of the ongoing apprenticeship programs in D.C. include, Auto Mechanic, Bricklayer, Cement Mason, Electrician, Iron Worker, Operating Engineer, Steam Fitter (HVAC), as well as Information Technology and Construction.

For more information about the program please go to www.does.dc.gov.

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Port Hires First Senior Director For Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion

Don't Miss

Wells Fargo Donates $2 Million to Main Street Launch in Oakland

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 22, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Advice

Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC