The Value of Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship combines paid on-the-job learning with classroom instruction to prepare individuals for specific occupations. Apprentices receive mentoring, earn progressively higher wages as their skills increase, and obtain an industry-recognized credential that positions them to find a job with other employers in the field. Apprenticeship programs boast impressive outcomes. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that more than 90 percent of registered apprentices remain employed after program completion, and their average starting wage is more than $60,000. Over their careers, apprentices earn $300,000 more than workers who did not complete an apprenticeship.¹

Apprenticeship in the United States has traditionally been focused on workers in the skilled trades, like welding and plumbing. But apprenticeship is now expanding to fast-growing sectors like healthcare, information technology, and finance. As students struggle to pay the cost of college, apprenticeship is emerging as an affordable and effective strategy for career training.² Employers also have much to gain from apprenticeship: a loyal, stable, and well-trained workforce equipped to meet market needs and to integrate into the culture of the organization. The challenge for mayors and municipal leaders is how to make apprenticeships leading to good, family-sustaining jobs much more widely available in their cities.