Pinnacol showcases innovative apprenticeship program

Recently, Pinnacol hosted more than 100 guests at its Denver headquarters for a global launch initiative by JPMorgan Chase & Co., the largest bank in the U.S. “New Skills at Work” is JPMorgan Chase’s global career readiness initiative, meant to “develop pathways and policy recommendations that give underserved students access to higher education and real-world work experiences that lead to high-wage, in-demand jobs.”

JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon and his team used the event to announce a global investment of $75 million in career readiness programs, starting with a $7 million commitment to supporting programs in Denver, a national hotbed of apprenticeship programs. Pinnacol was chosen to host the global announcement event because of the success of our apprenticeship program.

Since 2017, Pinnacol, in partnership with CareerWise Colorado, has offered a three-year apprenticeship program to high school students throughout Colorado. We help students launch their careers by exposing them to many different jobs and preparing them for a job in a specific field. They receive instruction while shadowing employees, performing hands-on work and hearing from guest speakers. They discover the importance of customer care, communication and critical thinking.

Guests and speakers at the event included Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Susana Cordova, JPMorgan Chase executives, local higher education and career readiness leaders, business leaders, and local media.

Also speaking at the event about her experience as an apprentice was current Pinnacol apprentice Angela Mendoza Rico, who remarked, “The apprenticeship program has really helped me with that. I feel so much more comfortable working around adults now. I know that I belong here.”

Watch highlights of the event:

Interested in launching a work-based apprenticeship program for your business? Start here.