We’re starting earlier and earlier!
Then, 2023 came and scared us. We had 75 applicants and rounds of down and upvoting to get to 20 people who got interviewed and then the final 10. We had bigger aspirations to do 2 live sessions every month with office hours, planned topical workshops, and supplemental readings as homework between sessions. Of course, plans change, and that’s all good. We are nothing but human.
About the 2024 Apprentice Program
The apprentice program will start later in March and last 9 months. As always, the program is free, funded by goodwill and compassion for supporting the new generation of people aimed to work in tech, UX, and related disciplines.
Who should apply? – This hasn’t changed
We said this before (1 and 2), and we’ll say it again. The apprentice program is catered towards those who haven’t made it: they haven’t found their way and need help getting them on their way.
- If you’ve gone through grad school or bootcamp BUT don't have a supportive network of mentors and connections to introduce you to your next UX gig, come this way.
- If you’re a first-generation college student, born of immigrant parents, or identify as being the first in your family to navigate the complexities of being in the tech field, our door is open.
- If you feel like an outlier or a misfit, like you don’t fit anywhere or are not interested in a traditional path, we are here for you.
New for 2024
We have a new crew of mentors ready for next year. Past mentors are still mentoring continuing cohorts and they’re still around to advise us. Incoming apprentices have nearly 40 senior apprentices from previous cohorts to call on as accountability buddies.
For 2024, we’re accepting 10 apprentices. We will have 1 mentor for every apprentice.
The application is open from January 3rd to 19th, 2024.
Info here about the apprentice program
This is a 9-month cohort, where you review user experience foundations. There’s no curriculum, maybe some short presentations along the way that may be related to projects you’re working on. It’s 9 months, with monthly meetings with your mentor and live office hours every other week.
It is completely free - no debt, no income share agreement, no monthly subscriptions. All interactions, both learning and working, are conducted remotely.
The apprentice program is focused on developing your mindset, critical thinking skills, and use cases for working in the UX field. You won’t be learning about how to use Figma per se; tools come and go.
Building hard and soft skills for long-term success is the focus here. You should have some foundational understanding of what user experience is and how it could be applied in various contexts. You are expected to be engaged and meet regularly with your mentor and the community.
What will you get?
Over the course of your apprenticeship, you’ll learn and refresh your understanding and process for documentation, project management, content, and design deliverables, whether your focus is on content, design, research, or another tenet in the UX field.
- Networking with other apprentices
- Regular meetings with your mentor
- Informational workshops, mixers, etc.
- Be paired with a past apprentice as an accountability buddy
Most importantly, everyone is expected to pay it forward and help support one another.
How will it work?
- Office hours are available every other Friday
- Group meetings will be held and recorded over Google Meet
- You’ll have access to the private DIA Design Guild community on Discord
When will we meet?
March to December - 9 months
Planned Workshops
- Skills inventory and mapping
- Apprenticeship goals
- Program Retrospective / Graduation
Planned Ask Me Anything (AMA) events
- Cross-Cultural Research
- Trauma-Informed Design/Research
- Accessibility and UX
- Attending Conferences and Networking