Filling the Tech Gap: How Guide Star "Grows Their Own" IT Talent

In an era where skilled IT professionals are in high demand and short supply, Guide Star has found a sustainable solution: the Registered Apprenticeship model. By shifting from "buying" talent to "growing" it, they have successfully developed a new range of experts specifically tailored to their operational needs. One of the things that sets them apart from the rest is their view of IT as something bigger than them. They don't only want to supply their own company with a highly skilled team, they want to improve IT access across the entire Upper Peninsula and State of Michigan.

Guide Star recently celebrated the graduation of three new Journeyworkers from their "Computer Support Specialist - Desktop Support Tech" Registered Apprenticeship Program. This rigorous program combined intensive On-Job-Learning (OJL) with high-quality Related Technical Instruction (RTI), ensuring these individuals didn't just learn theory, they mastered the practical application of desktop support within a live business environment.

Guide Star (employer), Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District (education), and Upper Peninsula Michigan Works! (workforce agency and intermediary) collaborated to provide technical instruction and registration support. This collaborative effort proved how integrated local partnerships build a robust and sustainable talent pipeline with Registered Apprenticeship.

This partnership highlights a key benefit for other employers considering this route: you don't have to build the Registered Apprenticeship Program alone. By working with their local Michigan Works!, Guide Star had support in building the program to ensure the classroom training was perfectly aligned with the real-world tasks the registered apprentices performed daily.

Guide Star’s success proves that any employer can build a sustainable talent pipeline. By partnering with Michigan Works! and local educators, you can leverage community resources to design a customized program that closes skill gaps and helps you "grow your own" experts.