IT hiring managers are almost always under pressure to deliver results fast, often with fewer resources. The old hiring model of posting job ads, interviewing, onboarding, and hoping the hire works out no longer cuts it. When entry-level talent lacks real-world experience, your senior engineers end up mentoring instead of building. That slows everything down and drives up your IT hiring cost.
It’s no wonder more enterprises are exploring IT apprenticeship services as a practical and cost-effective strategy for enterprise workforce development. These programs blend technical training, real work experience, and mentorship to produce candidates who are already familiar with the tools and workflows your team relies on.
Let’s take a look at the journeys of Paul Desir and Francis Eshun: two IT professionals who launched their careers through the same tech apprenticeship program model that WEI currently offers. Their stories make a strong case for why you should consider this proven model for your team.
Watch: Developing Job-Ready IT Talent
Why The Traditional Approach Isn’t Working
The standard IT hiring route has hidden costs that don’t always show up on paper but hit your team hard:
- Entry-level candidates often lack job-ready skills.
- Internships don’t guarantee long-term success or applied experience.
- Your experienced engineers lose valuable hours training new hires.
The average IT hiring cost is $23,000 higher for a traditional hire compared to an apprentice. The conventional strategy is clearly inadequate when considering an extended time-to-productivity and an elevated likelihood of attrition. That’s where tech apprenticeship programs come in. They deliver talent already trained in your specific tech stack and ready to contribute in weeks, not months. Notably, the apprentice has also developed working relationships with your existing IT personnel, shortening the onboarding process when making a transition to a full-time position.
From Zero Experience To Real Impact
After earning a computer science degree, Paul Desir struggled to land a job. With no internship on his resume, his applications went unnoticed until he came across an IT apprenticeship opportunity.
Paul's apprenticeship offered practical, employer-specific training beyond academics. For instance, he received rapid, targeted instruction in Angular, a tool his company utilized, despite it not being part of his college curriculum. This allowed him to quickly become proficient and contribute effectively.
Just three months into his role, Paul was selected to join an experimental fast-track development project — a high-visibility initiative designed to accelerate software delivery. The task? Overhauling user access controls for an enterprise platform used by thousands of employees. His small, agile team had to design a real-time permissions dashboard, allowing admins to manage security settings without manual intervention Quickly, he was writing actual code for a system critical to the company's current and future business outcomes.
This is what IT hiring managers need: someone who can step into a role and start delivering. Paul’s story shows how IT apprenticeship services reduce the need for extensive onboarding and free up your senior team to stay focused on high-value work.
Mentorship & Milestones With Francis Eshun
Bridging The Gap To Data Engineering
Francis Eshun had a strong academic background in applied mathematics and had interned as a data analyst. However, transitioning into a true engineering role was a leap. A standard entry-level position wouldn’t offer the structured support he needed. That’s where the apprenticeship gave him an edge.
Francis was trained in Power BI, Python, and data pipeline development. These are the tools his future employer used daily, but hadn’t learned in school. He built an automated data pipeline that helped underwriters make real-time decisions using external risk data. That project became the foundation of his full-time role as an Associate Data Engineer.
Francis says the mentorship made the biggest difference: “Without that support, I would probably be struggling a lot more in my role right now.”
For an IT hiring leader, that kind of transformation means one less overwhelmed new hire, and one more high-value contributor on your team. It’s a clear example of how enterprise workforce development through apprenticeship delivers real, measurable value.
A Smarter Way To Build Your Team
Paul Desir and Francis Eshun didn’t just find jobs; they brought immediate value to their teams. Their stories highlight the true power of IT apprenticeship services: building talent that’s trained, supported, and ready to contribute on day one. For IT hiring managers, these experiences highlight the broader impact of apprenticeship programs, demonstrating their ability to address fundamental hiring difficulties, not just fill open positions.
WEI's service offers more than just a pipeline of candidates. They address the hidden burdens of hiring junior talent: long ramp-up times, overextended senior staff, and high onboarding costs. Instead of hoping a new hire works out, you get professionals who have already been trained in your tech stack, mentored through real-world challenges, and prepared to deliver outcomes.
Here’s why this model works:
- Job-ready talent: For 12 months apprentices learn the tools your team actually uses before their first day on the job, thus cutting months off your typical onboarding timeline.
- Mentorship that matters: With mentorship built into the program, apprentices get the guidance they need without pulling your senior engineers away from their own work.
- Early contributions: Many apprentices, like Paul and Francis, begin delivering meaningful results within 90 days.
- IT hiring cost reduction: Companies save up to $23,000 per hire, thanks to lower recruiting costs and faster productivity.
- Proven success rates: More than 90% of hiring managers say apprentices are more prepared than traditional entry-level hires.
Your main challenge in building strong IT teams is finding talent that delivers results without disrupting your current staff or budget. These apprenticeship successes prove this is achievable. Rethink your entry-level hiring to develop dependable, long-term contributors who provide lasting value.
Final Thoughts
As Paul shared, the apprenticeship significantly accelerated his career and improved his on-the-job effectiveness. Francis echoed this, emphasizing that the program equipped him with essential learning and problem-solving skills to contribute immediately.
For IT hiring managers focused on budget optimization and long-term talent development, apprenticeship services are a reliable strategy. Companies like WEI demonstrate that well-structured programs consistently deliver on their potential.
Next Steps: Are you ready to transform your IT hiring strategy? Explore how IT apprenticeship services can significantly benefit your enterprise's workforce development and reduce IT hiring costs. Reach out to us to learn more.
