Pros
The education I received from the apprenticeship was invaluable. The instructors at the time I was in the cohort (early 2019) were incredibly supportive, dynamic, and full of information. I would not be in this field still without them and without the incredible opportunity to be paid to learn. Many of the mid and senior level devs on the floor (in the main part of the company outside of the apprenticeship) in early 2019 were also key players in my growth and development. I had many great learning opportunities with a strong safety net before I was sent on a contract to hire opportunity with another company.
Cons
As soon as I was sent on contract to hire I was basically abandoned by the company. My sole worth to them was the profit they could make off of me. My direct manager was wonderful and still checked in often, but after a few weeks I simply couldn't wait to get away. When the time came for me to transition full time at my new company, away from Techtonic, senior leadership began meddling and tried to negotiate my new salary and position for me, at a far lower rate than I know I could get and was worth. I'm assuming this came from some false sales pitch promise that their apprentices would accept outrageously low pay, in an effort to sign more contract hire employees. I have only distrust towards the upper level management after this, and most of the good ones have left by now anyway. The original academy team has all since left and an apprenticeship program hasn't happened in almost a year now, for what seems like dozens of excuses, none of them valid. Countless of my friends and colleagues were furloughed or laid off in the previous weeks and months, under the thinly veiled excuse of COVID, when really they haven't had enough work to keep employees off the bench in many many months. I truly see no future left for this company.