Investing in our employees has always been an important company value for OnPlan, and this is certainly true of our apprentice program.
Founders Chris and Steve realized several years ago, that finding new quality talent in the Oracle consulting space was beginning to be a challenge. They noticed a trend in the industry of fewer new recruits, and wanted to find a way to help fill that void, while giving an opportunity to eager participants. It was important to them that these individuals not exclusively be “fresh out of college,” but instead include individuals who might be looking to change careers. They wanted to give an opportunity to individuals who otherwise might not have a chance to get their foot in the door of this specialized industry.
They launched OnPlan Next Gen consultant training in 2011, which has expanded over the years, and currently includes two new participants receiving their on-the-job training at our client site in Forest Grove. I spoke to Tim Allen, a current apprentice who’s been training the past three months, to get his take on the program.
What drew you to apply for our apprenticeship program?
"I was looking for any chance to get back into the IT industry again, from when I was in the Air Force working in the networking shop. I felt that this type of situation was very unique and would give me the best opportunity right away."
What do you think of it so far?
“I think this has been a great move for me, and a huge opportunity that I am happy to have. We (OnPlan) added one additional apprentice after I started, who is working on the same project with me, and I feel that made this a great situation. I enjoy being able to work through problems with a fellow team member and bounce ideas off each other.
I’ve learned so many new skills already, basically everything within in the Oracle Suite is new to me right now. From the application side of creating concurrent programs, to learning more SQL and writing scripts on the back end. I've also learned more about Linux commands as well. So for me, I am constantly learning something new each day.”
What do you think has been the most challenging part of making the transition into this position?
“It’s been challenging getting used to a different type of work. My previous job didn't deal with a lot of technical work, and it’s been about a year since I completed my computer science degree. So refreshing those skills, and learning all the commands has been the most challenging, but also the most exciting thing for me.”
But the biggest benefit for me, is that this job is a true career compared to where I was before and the potential for growth is so much greater. I also enjoy the fact that each day brings something new and challenging, you are constantly learning!”
Interested in becoming an OnPlan Apprentice? Apply here
