When Connectivity is Career Infrastructure
When Connectivity is
Career Infrastructure
Nationally, about 50% of registered apprentices don’t make it past year one. Not due to motivation, but access issues – and the solution is more straightforward than most workforce organizations believe.
WestCal Academy is a U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Sponsor and a DOW SkillBridge Partner that has been creating apprenticeship opportunities for populations that most workforce organizations don’t serve such as:
- • Justice-impacted youth and adults
- • Veterans transitioning from active duty
- • Rural communities and individuals
About 15,000 students have gone through their programs thus far, with 800 to 1,000 students this year.
When you look at the federal government’s own statistics, this type of reach is critical, given that 53% of apprentices nationwide don’t make it past year one because programs lack the flexibility and support systems needed to help them succeed. For these students, the hurdle isn’t the lack of curriculum, it’s the following:
- Rural students either don't have fast or expensive broadband at home or don't have any access.
- Justice-impacted students aren't allowed to have a phone at school, severing their only access to coursework and job applications.
- Veterans in SkillBridge often lack consistent connectivity as they relocate and transition out of active duty.
- Field agents going to sites or to employers are losing work time because they cannot access Wi-Fi.
“Connectivity is career infrastructure for these students, not a nice-to-have.”
WestCal’s founder, John Paul Tabakian, Ed.D.
Carrying that understanding forward meant that in 2025, WestCal built connectivity into their budget, providing students, faculty and field staff members with 5G hotspots so no one has to fall behind due to lack of signal. This changed the nature of how their program operates:
- Apprentices can access live, hands-on training via video stream from anywhere in the country.
- Field agents have connectivity on the road rather than searching for Wi-Fi.
- With predictable, fixed pricing, WestCal scales confidently to new populations-including its SkillBridge program-without added financial risk.
The outcome is a case study that answers a critical question for growing nonprofits: When expansion outpaces your budget, what are the non negotiables?
The case study explains how WestCal achieved this in phases and what other organizations can adopt from their approach.
Download the full case study to learn how WestCal Academy built a national apprenticeship model with a $10/month solution and what it meant for retention, reach, and cost.
