Apprenti: A simplified approach to registered apprenticeships

Join us May 6th for a presentation by Karla Talanian and Dan Weagle on working with Apprenti to set up registered apprenticeships.

Description:  There is great enthusiasm for the Registered Apprenticeship model of workforce development. However, designing a Registered Apprenticeship de novo requires multiple skill sets that, collectively, can be quite challenging. Currently there is no mechanism for ensuring consistency in design or implementation across state lines, thus apprentices trained in one state may receive different education & training than those in another, even if they are destined to work at different sites of the same company. Apprenti’s Biomanufacturing Technician Apprenticeship standards will establish a common framework, which can be shared freely across the country to streamline development of regional programs. These will allow for customization to meet local employers’ needs while ensuring national consistency. Hands on skills training will be provided by local educators.

Apprenti has nine years of experience developing Registered Apprenticeships for the information technology industry & has successfully brought this model to scale placing over 5,000 apprentices with over 350 companies. Apprenti is partnering with Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative & InnovATEBIO to ensure representation of employers and educators from across the US.

Dan Weagle, Apprenti

Karla Talanian, Apprenti

Presenters:

Karla Telanian has led several life science training programs. At the MassBio Educational Foundation, she developed and launched three life science-related registered apprenticeship programs, in biomanufacturing, clinical trial administration, and laboratory support, and she also led an annual analysis of the region’s Life Science Labor Market. Karla served as the Chief Education & Workforce Officer for the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), where she directed their full spectrum of education and workforce development efforts, including overseeing project-based learning programs for high school students and launching a new Registered Apprenticeship Program for Biofabrication Technicians. Since January 2024 she has been an independent consultant at Longview Workforce Advising and is partnering with Apprenti to create standards for life science related registered apprenticeships that will be approved at the national level and facilitate the creation of new programs across the country. 

Before entering the field of workforce development, Karla worked both in the biotechnology industry and in academia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Smith College, and an MS in biotechnology and an MBA from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Dan Weagle is a seasoned leader with over a decade of workforce development, training and education experience.  He is passionate about creating opportunities for untapped talent by amplifying the impact of the time-tested model of Registered Apprenticeship across sectors. Currently serving as the Director of Channel Partners at Apprenti, Dan's mission is to connect the many organizations doing impactful work identifying, training and retaining talent for success in in-demand roles while building paths to career growth and advancement. 

A strategic leader in life science workforce development and innovation, Dan led the business development team strategy for Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Life Sciences vertical.  These efforts included developing and delivering innovative onsite graduate programming for incumbent employees at major Biopharma employers and leading the business development strategy for the Biomanufacturing Education and Training Center (BETC), a pilot-scale training lab.  In addition, Dan helped craft the business engagement strategy for PracticePoint, WPI's state-of-the-art $21M Medical Device Accelerator Facility.  Through this work in connecting local life science organizations with training, talent, and resources, Dan's team strengthened the region's workforce pipeline and empowered life science organizations to achieve their goals. With expertise in communication, education, and relationship-building, Dan designs effective workforce strategies that deliver measurable ROI for employers and create valuable opportunities for employees in the form of well-paying jobs and long-term career growth.