Business owners have recognized the value of human resources professionals, especially during the pandemic. Now, a new apprenticeship program is trying to bring more diversity to the profession.
Currently, 70% of people working in HR are women and they're mostly white.
“I think that folks who are, for example, veterans or individuals who are disabled, perhaps males who are older or younger in terms of professional tenure, will bring a great perspective and life experience to the profession of HR and will help just, I think again, be more reflective of our populations and the folks who are joining our workplaces,” said Wendi Safstrom, Executive Director at the SHRM Foundation.
The new HR Registered Apprenticeship Program could be an option for you if you lost your job in the pandemic, or if you're just looking for a career change.
It could also be an option if you want to stay with your company but move into HR. Once you're hired into the program, you're paid the going wage for that particular position in your area.
“This is, I think in particular, great for those who would like to go and pursue kind of online classroom training if you will, but do not have the ability to do that full-time because they're working and therefore earning as they're learning. It allows them to do both,” said Safstrom.
Once you finish your training, the average base pay for an HR professional is around $53,000 dollars a year, according to job review website Glassdoor.
If you're interested in the apprenticeship program, you can apply at HRApprentice.org.
