Registered Apprenticeships

Economic Policy & Innovation
Written By Rachel Tao

Contributors

Rachel Tao is currently a senior at Georgetown University from Alabama studying Government and Sociology. She has previously served in the White House, House of Representatives, Senate, Departments of Labor and Justice, and the Democratic National Committee. She has also worked for numerous Asian American nonprofits and is passionate about the intersection of labor issues and racial justice.

Key things to know

  • Although more and more people are going to college, less than forty percent of those twenty-five and older have bachelor’s degrees. More workforce innovations are needed to serve those who do not pursue higher education.

  • One major pathway to stable, middle-class jobs is registered apprenticeship programs (RAPs), which include job training and educational instruction to help workers “earn as they learn” in a given industry. Apprentices earn progressive wages and industry-recognized, nationally portable credentials. RAPs also empower employers to develop and prepare their future workforce.

  • RAPs differ from other apprenticeship programs because they are formally recognized by the Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency through a registration process, which allows the apprenticeship sponsor to gain access to federal resources, state tax credits, technical assistance, a national credential, and more. RAPs are industry-vetted and adhere to set government standards. Other apprenticeships are more informal with less structure and oversight.

  • RAPs have big benefits. Those who complete an RAP earn an average starting salary of approximately $80,000, above the national median household income. RAPs also have a ninety percent employment retention rate, indicating that 90 percent of apprenticeships retain employment after completing an apprenticeship. Furthermore, apprenticeship graduates have a lifetime earning advantage of over $300,000 compared to peers.

  • One huge gap with RAPs is that many populations are underrepresented. For example, in 2019,  only twelve percent of those completing RAPs were women. Although Black and Hispanic participation in RAPs roughly mirrors their overall participation in the workforce, Asian Americans are the most underrepresented in RAPs. Although Asian Americans comprise seven percent of the population, they make up less than two percent of apprentices. Additionally, Black and female graduates of RAPs make lower wages than their counterparts.

  • Apprenticeship programs have bipartisan support and well-established results. Increasing RAPs and ensuring equitable access to RAPs would be a great path to increasing workforce participation, decreasing employment, providing diverse career options, and fighting economic inequities.

Case study

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) created a Hospitality Sector Registered Apprenticeship (HSRA) to address a significant gender gap in those who hold senior management positions in the hospitality industry. NRAEF and AHLA recruited businesses to join the program and acted as apprenticeship sponsors for DOL, which reduced the administrative burden for employers, especially smaller businesses. Apprentices gained relevant credentials, such as the Certified Hospitality Supervisor designation or the ServSafe Restaurant Manager credential, and graduated with a higher position in their company. Businesses implemented participant support structures through mentorship and financial assistance, classroom instruction with H.R. departments or other company professionals, and on-the-job learning through rotation in different departments or job shadowing. After two years of the program, HSRA enrolled 1,402 participants, fifty-seven percent women, and fifty-three employers adopted the apprenticeship program. Many participants were promoted to higher-level positions in their company within a year of beginning the program.

Potential pitfalls

One major obstacle for RAPs arises from the collaborative nature of apprenticeship programs. The Department of Labor must work with differing state apprenticeship programs, as well as many employers and local community stakeholders, for each apprenticeship program that it adapts or creates. Therefore, implementation necessitates significant input from all levels of government. A remedy for this obstacle would be working to ensure RAPs have widespread support, so bureaucracy at all levels will view RAPs as a priority.

Another major obstacle is that there may be cultural barriers to encouraging participation among some populations. For example, Asian Americans may not envision themselves as belonging to the industries that apprenticeships are often used for. To remedy this obstacle, operating with community stakeholder buy-in and outreach to local businesses is essential. For example, local community organizations can help overcome these cultural barriers by marketing RAPs to the populations they serve.

Conclusion

Apprenticeships have life-changing results, particularly for those less likely to follow traditional employment paths. Improving access to RAPs for all Americans will lead to greater economic opportunity and workforce diversity. The government can promote RAPs for new populations by:

  • Working with local communities and small businesses, building inclusive local/regional partnerships

  • Investing in support services, like transportation funds, housing, work clothing and equipment, and childcare

  • Creating employer demand for a diverse workforce through agreements, such as Project Labor Agreements commonly used in the construction industry, and brainstorming new industries to implement RAPs in

  • Diversifying pre-apprenticeship programs, which expose workers to the work environment and send them to apprenticeships

  • Distributing bureaucratic resources, including by making resources language-accessible

Further readings

Rachel Tao

Rachel Tao is a student at Georgetown University studying Government and Sociology. She is also the daughter of Chinese immigrants, born in Iowa and raised in Auburn, Alabama. After watching her family and many others experience isolation and marginalization in the Deep South, she became deeply committed to racial and economic justice. She has worked in all corners of the political world, from the Departments of Labor and Justice to the House of Representatives and Senate to the Democratic National Committee and a Congressional campaign. Most recently, she interned in the White House and volunteered for Stop AAPI Hate and APIAVote. All of these experiences shape her passion for the Asian American community and worker justice, which she will continue to pursue through her public service.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/theracheltao/
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