U.S. Department of Labor Announces Campaign to Share the Benefits Of Apprenticeships with Job Seekers and Employers

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the launch of a campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of registered apprenticeships, and increase participation by business leaders and job seekers nationwide.

The “Discover Apprenticeship” campaign is part of the Department’s broader $858 million investment since 2017 to grow apprenticeship programs in the U.S. and advance the Trump Administration’s commitment to add one million new apprentices by Sept. 30, 2021.

Spearheaded by the Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the campaign will help fulfill the Department’s goals to spur greater employment and support the growth of American businesses. While more than 6.6 million job openings exist in the U.S., the growing skills gap in the workforce leaves many of these vacancies unfilled as employers struggle to find job seekers with the skills needed.

Since Jan. 1, 2017, over 800,000 Americans have found employment through apprenticeship. More than 90 percent of workers who complete an apprenticeship earn an average of $70,000 annually, and 94 percent are retained in employment six months after completion.

The Discover Apprenticeship campaign seeks to help connect job seekers and job creators through expanded apprenticeships and show them how apprenticeships can help workers achieve the American Dream, regardless of whether they are starting or changing their careers. The campaign will also support the Department’s efforts to attract individuals who are under-represented in apprenticeships historically.

“Apprenticeship enables us to create the workforce and the economy of the future,” said Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration John Pallasch. “Job seekers can learn workplace-relevant skills and earn a paycheck from day one while employers develop a more diverse, and highly-skilled workforce that will support their continued growth.”

The campaign will also encourage job seekers to consider apprenticeship opportunities found at the Department’s online Apprenticeship Job Finder. Launched in August 2018, this resource offers access to more than 20,000 open apprenticeships and more than 3,500 organizations in the U.S. (and territories) in a variety of industries, including advanced manufacturing, healthcare and information technology.

The campaign’s advertising component will include social media and streaming TV placements in 21 states including Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

Visit www.apprenticeship.gov to learn more about the benefits of apprenticeship, discover resources to implement apprenticeship programs and explore available openings.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.