National Apprenticeship Week Recap
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Last week was National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) and it is important to highlight Zurich’s continual commitment to the professional success of degree-seeking students across the country through its apprenticeship program.
The Zurich Apprenticeship Program, introduced in 2016, offers new pathways to earn either an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree while embarking on a rewarding career with Zurich North America, a leading provider of property, casualty, life, and crop insurance products and services to businesses and individuals.
The Zurich Apprenticeship Program became the first of its kind to be certified by the U.S. Department of Labor and has since earned the company honors including the selection as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2022; and the Pledge to America’s Workers Presidential Award in 2020.
Last Monday, the Chicago Apprentice Network hosted an event in collaboration with Business Roundtable featuring First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona discussing the status and expansion of apprenticeship programs across the United States. The overarching goal of the event was to demonstrate the importance of apprenticeships and develop methods to continue to scale the apprenticeship model among more employers while providing employees greater access to sustainable careers with paid training.
“When Zurich North America hired our first apprentices in 2016, apprenticeships in the U.S. were limited mainly to manufacturing and the trades,” said Zurich North America Chief Executive Officer Kristof Terryn. “While those traditional opportunities remain, Zurich, Accenture, Aon, and many other businesses have pushed out those guardrails and proven that apprenticeships work across a wide range of corporate settings and roles. In all cycles, in every industry, all of us need talent with innovative ideas and fresh perspectives, and our talent pools want and deserve opportunities to develop and reach their potential. Apprenticeship delivers.”
In addition to last week’s event in Chicago, Chavonne Hudson and Jae Arias (a 2022 Zurich apprentice graduate) from Zurich’s New York office were in Washington, D.C., taking part in NAW events at the Swiss Embassy and Capitol Hill. Another graduate of our New York program, Angel Rosario, spoke on a panel at an event with the New York Jobs CEO Council, Aon and Accenture in our New York City office. Other Zurich apprentices and managers participated in National Apprenticeship Week events in Philadelphia, PA and Houston, TX. By sharing their stories and experiences as employers and apprentices, both dynamics made a compelling case for the value and need to further expand apprenticeship opportunities.
Learn more here if you or someone you know is interested in participating in Zurich’s Apprenticeship program.
By Marcel Caldwell
Director of Operations, Government & Regulatory Relations
National Apprenticeship Week Recap
Share this
Last week was National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) and it is important to highlight Zurich’s continual commitment to the professional success of degree-seeking students across the country through its apprenticeship program.
The Zurich Apprenticeship Program, introduced in 2016, offers new pathways to earn either an Associate’s degree or Bachelor’s degree while embarking on a rewarding career with Zurich North America, a leading provider of property, casualty, life, and crop insurance products and services to businesses and individuals.
The Zurich Apprenticeship Program became the first of its kind to be certified by the U.S. Department of Labor and has since earned the company honors including the selection as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S. Department of Labor in 2022; and the Pledge to America’s Workers Presidential Award in 2020.
Last Monday, the Chicago Apprentice Network hosted an event in collaboration with Business Roundtable featuring First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona discussing the status and expansion of apprenticeship programs across the United States. The overarching goal of the event was to demonstrate the importance of apprenticeships and develop methods to continue to scale the apprenticeship model among more employers while providing employees greater access to sustainable careers with paid training.
“When Zurich North America hired our first apprentices in 2016, apprenticeships in the U.S. were limited mainly to manufacturing and the trades,” said Zurich North America Chief Executive Officer Kristof Terryn. “While those traditional opportunities remain, Zurich, Accenture, Aon, and many other businesses have pushed out those guardrails and proven that apprenticeships work across a wide range of corporate settings and roles. In all cycles, in every industry, all of us need talent with innovative ideas and fresh perspectives, and our talent pools want and deserve opportunities to develop and reach their potential. Apprenticeship delivers.”
In addition to last week’s event in Chicago, Chavonne Hudson and Jae Arias (a 2022 Zurich apprentice graduate) from Zurich’s New York office were in Washington, D.C., taking part in NAW events at the Swiss Embassy and Capitol Hill. Another graduate of our New York program, Angel Rosario, spoke on a panel at an event with the New York Jobs CEO Council, Aon and Accenture in our New York City office. Other Zurich apprentices and managers participated in National Apprenticeship Week events in Philadelphia, PA and Houston, TX. By sharing their stories and experiences as employers and apprentices, both dynamics made a compelling case for the value and need to further expand apprenticeship opportunities.
Learn more here if you or someone you know is interested in participating in Zurich’s Apprenticeship program.
By Marcel Caldwell
Director of Operations, Government & Regulatory Relations
