Abstract
[This is an excerpt.] Apprenticeships are structured work-based training programs that combine classroom instruction(“related technical instruction,” or RTI) with on-the-job learning (OJL) provided by a mentor at the employer’s worksite. Apprenticeships provide training in a specific occupation and deliver occupational skills that are recognized and transferable across employers. Apprentices are employed during their training, contribute to production, and earn progressively higher wages. Commonly used as a workforce development strategy in other countries, registered apprenticeships in the U.S. have typically been used as a training model for occupations in the building trades (e.g., electrician, carpenter) Reflecting this composition of apprenticeship programs, White men have accounted for most apprentices in the United States. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) focused on expanding apprenticeship, particularly those that it (or a state)“registers” as meeting specific standards, into sectors with few apprenticeships (such as healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology) and to populations traditionally underrepresented in apprenticeship. Funded by the H-1B visa program, AAI awarded $175 million in five-year grants to 46 grantees in 2015. To build evidence about the effectiveness of registered apprenticeship for apprentices and employers, DOL commissioned an evaluation of the AAI grants in 2016, which included four sub-studies. [To read more, click View Resource.]
This resource is found in our Actionable Strategies for Government: Fair and Meaningful Reward & Recognition (Support Career Development).
