Apprentices in America
Behind the panel Apprentices in America · series F, By the Numbers.
The U.S. registered apprenticeship system dates from the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 (the Fitzgerald Act). Programs are registered with the Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency and follow standards for training, wages and safety.
Scale
In recent years the Department of Labor has reported several hundred thousand active registered apprentices nationwide in any given year, with electricians, carpenters, plumbers and pipefitters, and other construction trades the largest occupations. New programs in healthcare, information technology, advanced manufacturing and transportation are growing. The museum keeps the current dashboard figures in its data file.
International comparison
In Germany, Switzerland and Austria, a large share of young people enter the labour market through dual-system apprenticeships combining school and workplace training. The United States relies more on colleges and on-the-job learning, and apprentices are a small share of the workforce.
Who sponsors
Joint apprenticeship training committees run by unions and contractor associations, individual employers, industry groups such as Associated Builders and Contractors, and increasingly community colleges and workforce boards.
How VoTechWorks connects
VoTechWorks programs prepare students for entry into apprenticeships: safety (OSHA 10), NCCER Core and trade levels, math, blueprint reading and job readiness. Where local sponsors agree, program hours can count toward apprenticeship related instruction.
Sources
U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov data dashboard; National Apprenticeship Act of 1937; OECD reports on vocational education and training.
