Registered Apprenticeship

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Release Date

Registered Apprenticeship

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Issue
2009-2

Publication Info

Description

Registered apprenticeship, administered at the Federal level by the U.S. Department of Labor, is a time-tested worker training method characterized by on-the-job learning, incremental wage increases, classroom instruction, and achievement of a recognized credential.  Site visits were conducted in five states with 37 registered apprenticeship sponsors, 79 apprentices, 19 state apprenticeship agency staff, 14 One-StopCareerCenter managers, and 29 classroom training providers found the following:

 

Registered apprenticeship enjoyed strong support from the sponsors and apprentices interviewed and most sponsors stated that they would strongly recommend registered apprenticeship to other employers.  Drawbacks and problems identified were few, but sponsors noted some difficulty in finding high-quality related instruction.  Community college administrators expressed concerns about finding high-quality instructors and difficulties in recouping the costs of providing related instruction.  Apprentices expressed concerns about the length of their programs, limited pay initially, instances of poor quality work assignments, and difficulties with some types of related instruction.  Coordination and linkage between registered apprenticeship and the One-Stop System appeared to be weak.  Also, there were relatively few staff in the state apprenticeship offices visited and it appeared unlikely they could undertake significantly increased levels of outreach to new employers or address sponsors’ recommendations.  These recommendations included:  increased publicity for the apprenticeship, reduced paperwork, more support from other programs in the workforce investment system, as well as monetary incentives for operating apprenticeship programs.