Open Up the Debate for World Class Apprenticeships: An Introduction to the Knowhow Economy

Tom Bewick, esteemed partner of Franklin Apprenticeships and leading authority on the expansion and delivery of apprenticeship programs throughout the United States and United Kingdom, authored “World Class Apprenticeships: Are They the Answer to the Age of Stagnation?” a paper that sheds light on the need for global apprenticeship reform.

Bewick’s research — derived from roundtable discussions with transatlantic apprenticeship experts and policymakers, an online survey, and documented research findings — unveils a compelling case to shift the tides in the education and training system. The issues of youth unemployment and middle class wage stagnation are framed in detail, and the success factors of apprenticeship programs adopted globally, are explored.

The paper introduces a more innovative approach to solving these issues by looking at them from a different angle. Bewick advocates moving from a “Knowledge Economy” to what he has termed the “Knowhow Economy.”

By applying the age-old practice of apprenticeships, harkening back to the vocation education days of Benjamin Franklin, Bewick believes a globally accredited standard — brought on by a World Class Apprenticeships initiative — can serve to “renew the purpose of our higher education and work-based skills and training systems.”

In his Forward endorsement, Dr. Robert I. Lerman, Institute Fellow, Urban Institute, Professor of Economics, American University and Founder, American Institute for Innovative Apprenticeships, iterates the urgent need to define and frame goals to attract public support of policy initiatives, and praises Bewick’s efforts to catalyze educational reform.

“Tom Bewick deserves accolades not only for his compelling case for apprenticeships but also for introducing an innovative new element to apprenticeship, and doing so thoughtfully. Let the debate about world class apprenticeships begin.”

Read World Class Apprenticeships: Are They the Answer to the Age of Stagnation?

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