Give benefits to Apprentices

Over the last 12 months there has only been one apprentice (out of 13) whom we 
did not promote to a full designer or developer at the completion of the 
apprenticeship.

We have done an excellent job of setting the bar very high for getting into
the apprenticeship, and training people in it.

The majority (62%) of apprentices in the last 12 months were already working
as a designer or developer, and left (or recently left) their job to join us
as an apprentice.

We offer a reduced salary during apprenticeship, but don't want to create an 
additional burden on apprentices.

Also, by negotiating medical benefits for some apprentices and not others, we 
run the risk of our medical plan being viewed as discriminatory, which we 
certainly want to avoid.

This change make apprentices eligible, as a full-time employee of thoughtbot, 
for the same benefits as all other full-time employees.
> My actual concern is that I think we would not want an apprentice who was not being made an offer at the conclusion of their apprenticeship to be allowed to enroll in the 401k (for like a week, if the timing lined up), right?

In the last 12 months, there hasn't been a single person who fell into that category. The one person we didn't hire was not in the US.

In the case that it *did* happen, we make a hiring decision at the end of the 2nd month, so there would be plenty of notice that someone isn't going to be hired.