Once considered a path for the building trades, today’s apprenticeships are demonstrating the ... [+]
It’s been an unprecedented time for workforce investments and the future of work. Bills like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHiPs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act all provide much-needed funding to develop the nation’s manufacturing capabilities, boost our climate resilience, and more. But there’s a central question on everyone’s mind: where will we find the workers to fill these jobs? If every person without a job found one tomorrow, there would still be an estimated 3 million open roles to fill.
The White House recently released a playbook that calls on state and local governments to use a solution that has been hiding in plain sight for decades: Apprenticeship, the foundational earn-and-learn model that provides paid on-the-job training that can lead directly to a quality job. Once considered mostly a path for the building trades, today’s apprenticeships are beginning to encompass a wider variety of industries that have notably struggled to fill jobs, including education and health care. Apprenticeships are also demonstrating the potential to prepare workers for the most in-demand jobs of tomorrow in fields like technology, space, and climate resilience.
Apprenticeship is a win-win for learners, workers, employers, and the economy. To make it as effective as it can be, everyone—including employers, policymakers, workforce boards, training providers, community colleges, four-year colleges, K-12 schools, and community-based organizations—has a part to play in boosting its presence. Schools should make a practice of including apprenticeship in their postsecondary recommendations, and apprenticeship providers themselves must ensure they are removing barriers and creating an inclusive experience for the next generation.
Boosting Apprenticeship Pathways For Gen Z And Beyond
It’s no secret that Gen Z is shaking up the established education-to-career pathways system, with college enrollments down and young learners skeptical of the cost-versus-benefit of a four-year degree. But neither the K-12, postsecondary, nor workforce systems have gone all in on promoting apprenticeship as a viable alternative. A recent survey by Jobs for the Future (JFF) and American Student Assistance found that nearly two in three high school graduates not attending college said they would have considered programs like industry certifications, occupation licenses, and apprenticeships if they knew more about them. They also noted schools are not offering information about nondegree pathways to the same extent as they are about 4-year degrees.
This needs to change, especially now that apprenticeship opportunities exist in high-demand fields that require specialized training once mainly available through higher education. Apprenticeships in education, for example, could mitigate the severe nationwide teacher shortage while offering young people a paid opportunity to build experience and credentials on the path to becoming a K-12 teacher. Apprenticeships in climate resilience work—a key issue for young learners and workers—are a priority for the Biden administration, which launched the American Climate Corps this fall to develop 20,000 workers in green economy initiatives. Even NASA is getting involved, partnering with community colleges to create apprenticeship opportunities that will build the aerospace workforce. Not to mention, starting salaries for those who complete Registered Apprenticeship programs average $80,000 a year.
With debt-free pathways like these available, it’s time for apprenticeships to step into the spotlight when it comes to young people exploring their next steps on their education and workforce journey. Schools, training providers, and community organizations can help by building youth apprenticeship programs and other pathways that lead into more formal Registered Apprenticeships. These kinds of programs can help students build the skills they’ll need even before they transition out of high school and can help launch young people on a strong, well-compensated career journey that blends work and learning, and prepares them for the next generation of jobs.
Opening The door To Apprenticeship For All
Employers with apprenticeship programs have a responsibility here as well: Building diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility into their programs to ensure wide access and success. Despite apprenticeship’s long and established history as a successful earn-and-learn model, some of that history, including exclusionary recruitment practices, has yielded an unfortunately homogenous population. A 2020 analysis found Registered Apprentices between 16 and 24 years old were 93% male.
Employers must be intentional about recruiting and retaining workers from a variety of backgrounds and setting them up to succeed in their programs. Support for these efforts is available: the Department of Labor recently awarded $5 million to organizations in seven states to increase the numbers of women in Registered Apprenticeship programs. And the Innovation Hub for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Registered Apprenticeship, operated by my organization, JFF, offers partnerships and resources to help providers create apprenticeships that are inclusive and equitable.
Too often, young people are taught that their journey after high school is a choice between earning or learning. Apprenticeship is a path to both, and today it offers the opportunity to earn and learn while also taking action to address national issues like the climate crisis or severe education and health care worker shortages. I urge learners, educators, and employers to break down the barriers to widespread adoption and make way for the apprenticeships of the 21st century.
