Earn While You Learn

Registered Apprenticeship is the U.S. system, overseen by the Department of Labor and state apprenticeship agencies, in which employers, unions or industry groups sponsor structured training programs.

How it works

An apprentice is hired as an employee. Training combines on-the-job learning under a journeyworker with related technical instruction in a classroom or online, commonly around 144 hours per year in construction trades. Programs usually last from one to five years depending on the trade.

The wage schedule

Every registered program has a progressive wage schedule. Construction apprenticeships often start around 40 to 50 percent of the journeyworker wage and rise in steps as the apprentice completes hours and coursework. At completion, the apprentice becomes a journeyworker with a nationally recognised certificate.

Numbers

The Department of Labor reports several hundred thousand active registered apprentices nationwide, with construction trades the largest group; the museum data file keeps the current count. Completion rates vary by trade and sponsor.

Pre-apprenticeship

Pre-apprenticeship programs prepare people to enter apprenticeships: basic math, safety, tool use, and job-readiness skills. VoTechWorks programs, including OSHA 10 and NCCER Core, are designed to work as pre-apprenticeship pathways.

Try it

Suppose a journeyworker earns $30 an hour and an apprenticeship pays 45, 55, 65, 75 and 85 percent in successive years at 2,000 hours a year. The apprentice earns about $195,000 over five years, before overtime, while training.

Sources

U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov and the Registered Apprenticeship data dashboard.