Young male factory worker focuses on task

Benefits of Apprenticeship

How does a registered apprenticeship program benefit employers?

First and foremost, apprenticeship helps businesses develop highly-skilled employees. Apprenticeship programs also reduce turnover rates, increase productivity and lower the cost of recruitment. Additional benefits include:

Customized training that meets industry standards, resulting in highly-skilled employees.
Increased knowledge transfer through on-the-job learning from an experienced mentor, combined with education courses to support work-based learning.
Enhanced employee retention: 91% of apprentices that complete an apprenticeship are still employed nine months later.
A safer workplace that may reduce worker compensation costs, due to the program’s emphasis on safety training.
A stable and reliable pipeline of qualified workers.
A systematic approach to training that ensures employees are trained and certified to produce at the highest skill levels required for the occupation.

How does a registered apprenticeship program benefit workers?

From their first day of work, apprentices receive a paycheck that is guaranteed to increase as their training progresses. Apprentices also complete a combination of job-related instruction and hands-on training at the job site leading to a nationally-recognized, portable credential.

Other specific benefits include:

Hands-on career training: Apprentices receive practical on-the-job training in a wide variety of occupations and industries, such as health care, construction, information technology, transportation, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
An education: Apprentices benefit from improved skills and competencies as well as the potential to earn college credit toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
A career: Once the apprenticeship is complete, workers are on their way to a successful long-term career with a competitive salary and little or no educational debt.
National credential: When an apprentice graduates from a career training program, he or she earns a certified portable credential accepted by industries and employers across the U.S.

How does registered apprenticeship benefit the workforce system?

Connecting registered apprenticeship with your state and local workforce systems is a win-win partnership. The strategy helps businesses thrive by building a highly-skilled, highly-productive workforce, and it helps job seekers access and maintain stable careers with good wages.

By using apprenticeship as a work-based learning strategy, the workforce system can increase worker skills, meet employer needs, and enhance performance outcomes. Additionally, apprenticeship is a successful job-driven training strategy that can be an effective tool under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Registered Apprenticeship contributes to positive outcomes in each of the workforce system performance measures:

Employment: Registered Apprenticeship is a job. All apprentices enter employment when they begin an apprenticeship program.
Retention: Registered Apprenticeship programs have high retention rates; 91% of apprentices retain employment after the program ends.
Earnings: The average starting wage for apprentices is $15.00 an hour, with wage increases as apprentices advance in skills and knowledge.
Credential Attainment: All participants who complete an apprenticeship earn a national, industry-recognized credential.

Employers