Founded in the U.S. in 2017, Aon’s Apprenticeship program provides opportunities for diverse professionals to develop vital skills in the workplace while earning as they learn. In addition, Aon, Accenture and Zurich North America co-founded the Chicago Apprenticeship Network in 2017 to build a network of employers, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations to support the development of apprenticeship programs, and the Network has since expanded to more than 50 companies across 18 sectors. In November 2020, Aon announced the expansion of its program and Network model to six new cities across the country.

Earlier this year, leaders for the Aon apprenticeship program visited Washington, D.C. and New York City to educate others about the value of apprenticeships.  

In Washington, D.C., Aon representatives and other apprentice ecosystem participants from the area hosted the first Greater Washington Apprentice Network event to mark the first anniversary of the program. Janet Osborn, East Region leader for Aon, led the event alongside Marty Rodgers of Accenture, Julie Coons of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and Kevin Clinton of Federal City Council. Apprentices from Aon and Accenture sat on a panel to discuss their experience in the program and career growth.

In New York City, Aon held a roundtable discussion with apprentice ecosystem participants and other employers interested in launching their own apprenticeship programs. Jacquelyn Bolig, executive managing director, and Petra Schmidt, managing partner, of Aon led conversations with employers, and Sharon D.D. Reid and Rena Francis of Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) and Kiersten Barnet of New York Jobs CEO Council. Aon apprentices and managers spoke about their experience in the program as well.

Furthering Aon’s commitment to building resilient workforces, Bridget Gainer, global head of policy and public affairs at Aon, has joined Apprenticeships for America (AFA) as a member of its Advisory Council. The council will guide AFA’s ongoing effort to build a stronger and more robust registered apprenticeship system across the country though collaboration with employers, intermediaries, education providers, labor and other organizations.

To learn more about the impact of the Aon apprenticeship program, listen to recent On Aon podcast episodes: On Aon’s Strategy for Attracting Fresh Talent with Ben Evans and Juawana Allen and On Aon’s Recipe for Building a Resilient Workforce with Dawn Spreeman-Heine and Marc Armstrong. And listen to The Enlightened Executive podcast for an interview with Aon’s Schmidt, who is a member of Aon’s Apprenticeship Program Leadership Group, about how to leverage the apprenticeship program to solve for talent gaps and drive employee retention.