About the Brief

Download Brief

The brief is part of the State Apprenticeship Systems Capacity Assessment Study funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, which is aimed at understanding how state apprenticeship systems operate to achieve goals. This brief discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic affected state apprenticeship staff and their engagement with employers, training providers, and other partners in the apprenticeship system; how apprentice and industry engagement changed during the pandemic; reported challenges and successes in the provision of related training and instruction for apprentices; and what implications for the future these changes have for the system according to eight selected states.

Download this Summary (PDF)

Research Questions

• How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect state apprenticeship administrators’ ability to support apprenticeship programs?
• How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect training providers’ ability to deliver services?
• How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect interest in apprenticeship and industry focus?
• What will the apprenticeship landscape look like after the COVID-19 pandemic?

Key Takeaways

• Leveraging technology allowed apprenticeship administrators to pivot their work online quickly and easily and to streamline work processes.
• By working virtually, state apprenticeship agencies continued supporting partners and expanded their reach and responsiveness.
• Training providers and instructors faced logistical challenges transitioning in person training online. State administrators noted that many of their training partners did not offer online apprenticeship training prior to the pandemic and had to quickly adapt.
• Online learning was viewed as offering greater flexibility than in-person learning, despite certain challenges in implementing hybrid or remote learning options.
• Online learning may not be a substitute for in-person hands-on learning in all industries, but it may offer opportunities to expand apprenticeships to new industries. Although most administrators interviewed for the study mentioned that hybrid and remote learning opportunities will continue post-COVID, five of the eight administrators interviewed noted the need to retain hands-on learning components in-person for certain apprenticeship programs.
• Low wages, long apprenticeship programs, and COVID-19 disruptions may have contributed to less participant interest in apprenticeship.
• Some employers were reluctant to hire new apprentices during the economic uncertainty of the pandemic, but no mass cancellations of apprenticeships were reported by the state administrators interviewed for the study.
• Expansion into nontraditional industries, like healthcare and education, accelerated during the pandemic to address workforce shortages and to meet employer demand.

Citation

Ruggiero, R., Krantz, A. (2023) Mathematica. How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected State Apprenticeship Systems Takeaways from Eight States. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

Download Brief   View Study Profile

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.