The technical Apprenticeship Program is a year-long immersive learning program that responds to the demand for skilled tech professionals at DRW.
As a Chicago-based program, our technical Apprenticeship Program sources talent locally and expresses our passion for driving positive change in our community by connecting talent with opportunity.
Every apprentice is provided the tools, training and mentorship necessary to set them up for success as a full-time employee at DRW.
DRW’s Apprenticeship Program was founded in 2020 as an innovative way to help DRW compete in an increasingly competitive talent market while at the same time help talented people from underrepresented groups break into tech outside of the traditional 4-year college degree track.
Candidates fulfill the required entry criteria and undergo interviews with DRW experts. Some of these applicants are DRW staff transitioning to technical positions, while all of them come from a wide range of social, educational, professional, and economic backgrounds.
DRW has partnered with Apprenti, a national tech apprenticeship program affiliated with the Department of Labor, to find and train qualified candidates. Apprentices are selected through assessment and interview, undergo 19 weeks of full time training offsite, and then come to DRW for up to a year of apprenticeship featuring DRW-specific skill-building and rotations onto DRW teams, with the goal of earning an offer of full time employment at DRW.