City Colleges Recognized as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S. Department of Labor

City Colleges of Chicago's efforts to provide meaningful work-based learning opportunities to students has been officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor. On Thursday, October 17, the Department's Office of Apprenticeship (OA) recognized City Colleges as an Apprenticeship Ambassador for our work to promote, expand, and diversify registered apprenticeships and thereby strengthen our nation's workforce.

During the 2023-24 school year, City Colleges connected more than 115 students to registered apprenticeships with employers across the Chicago region. Many of those students turned their apprenticeships into full-time positions with their employers.

Adetayo Olusegun was one of those students. During one of his regular his visits to the Career Center at Harold Washington College, he was encouraged to apply for an apprenticeship at JPMorgan Chase, and he was hired for the position. Due to his hard work, Adetayo was promoted to a full-time software engineer position at the end of his apprenticeship. In addition to his full-time job, he is currently earning his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Chicago.

"The programming classes I took at CCC prepared me for my time at UIC and in my apprenticeship at Chase. I was able to leverage those skills and apply them to my work," Adetayo said. "Experience is invaluable."

As a strategic partner of the Chicago Apprentice Network, City Colleges works to connect students like Adetayo with apprenticeships in a wide-range of industries, including cybersecurity, communications, healthcare, and beyond. Additionally, in April 2024, BOMA Chicago announced that three of its members would offer apprenticeship positions for City Colleges students, marking the first-ever U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship in property management.

To hear directly from students and employers about the benefits of apprenticeship programs, visit www.ccc.edu/workforcesolutions or watch the video below.