There is no conflict of interest.
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine how state agencies expanded access to registered apprenticeships.
- The authors gathered data through a survey on strategies to broaden registered apprenticeships, targeting state agencies responsible for apprenticeship activities within their respective states or territories.
- The study found that state agencies expanded registered apprenticeships by hiring more staff, legislation, and regulatory changes, offering employer incentives, and engaging non-traditional industries. This expansion surpassed expectations, yet barriers remain, and further technical assistance is necessary.
- Surveys were distributed to a single state agency in each state and territory, which might not have provided comprehensive information regarding all registered apprenticeship activities within their state.
Intervention Examined
Features of the Study
Registered Apprenticeships are programs that help develop a workforce in the United States by providing individuals with the education, skills, and access to jobs in a skilled trade. Since 2016 the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has invested funds through grants to encourage states to expand access to apprenticeships and to work on the development and implementation of their strategies to expand apprenticeships.
Study authors sent surveys to state agencies to collect information on their approaches to expand access to registered apprenticeships. They worked with the Office of Apprenticeship (OA) to identify the main state agency responsible for each state’s registered apprenticeship programs. Surveys were sent via email to the state agencies in all 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and six U.S. territories between January 8, 2020, and February 24, 2020. The study authors conducted a descriptive analysis of the survey data from state agencies that completed the survey, which included 53 out of 57 agencies. Most of the state agencies included in the analysis were labor and workforce development programs (79%). Their main responsibility was to coordinate with workforce programs and partners (81.1%). About 36% had 3-4 staff members involved in registered apprenticeships, and 75.5% partnered with community colleges to develop their registered apprenticeship system.
Findings
- The study found that 64% of state agencies expanded their staff to offer full-time work for registered apprenticeships in the last two years, with an overall increase ranging from 50%-80%.
- Most state agencies (78%) prioritized increasing the number of sponsors for registered apprenticeships.
- Less than half of state agencies (43%) were in states that introduced significant regulation or legislative changes in the past three years to support the growth of registered apprenticeships, often through increased funding.
- Registered apprenticeships were primarily funded by individual training accounts and on-the-job training through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (94%). Since 2016, 58.3% of state agencies have seen an increase in funding from these sources.
- The study found that 80% of states provided financial support for workforce training and education to encourage employers to join registered apprenticeship programs.
- It was not possible to determine the precise number of unregistered apprenticeships in the United States. However, 33% of state agencies acknowledged the existence of such programs within their areas, which offered paid employment and on-the-job training leading to industry-recognized credentials. Most unregistered apprenticeships were found in the manufacturing sector (15%).
- Most state agencies (81%) reported that the expansion of registered apprenticeships met or surpassed their state's expectations within the last two years.
- About 62% of state agencies attributed the expansion of registered apprenticeships in their states to outreach efforts directed at nontraditional industries that did not have existing apprenticeship programs.
- The main obstacles to expanding registered apprenticeships in states were employers' lack of knowledge about them (52.8%) and the public's lack of understanding on how to enter the system (52.8%).
- The study found that the top technical assistance need for state agencies to grow registered apprenticeships was developing marketing strategies (58%).
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The study authors note that surveys were sent to just one state agency per state, which may not fully reflect all registered apprenticeship activities happening within the state.
Research Guidelines
Review Protocol: Employment and Training Review Protocol
Review Guidelines: Quantitative Descriptive Guidelines