Benefits for Business:
Highly‐skilled employees
Reduced turnover costs
Higher productivity
More diverse workforce
Benefits for Workers:
Increased skills
Higher Wages
National credential
Career advancement
Benefits for Workforce Intermediaries and Education Organizations:
Proven model to help job seekers immediately start working and increase skills and earnings
Effective strategy to connect with employers in diverse fields and to use as part of industry sector strategies
Apprenticeship Fast Facts:
Provides the credential equivalent of a 2– or 4– year degree
Average starting salary: $50,000
Completing a Registered Apprenticeship program = $300,000 more over the course of a career
Increases workforce skill, productivity, and morale
150,000 employers and labor management organizations participate
Nearly 400,000 apprenticeships are available nationwide in more than 1,000 occupations
Business Partners:
Identify the skills and knowledge that apprentices must learn
Hire new workers or select current employees to be apprentices
Provide on-the-job training Identify an experienced mentor to work with apprentices
Pay progressively higher wages as skills increase
Can provide related instruction in-house or in partnership with others
Workforce Intermediaries:
Provide industry and workforce-specific expertise (e.g., curriculum development) to support employers in a particular industry sector
Can serve as the sponsor of an apprenticeship program, taking responsibility for the administration of the program (thereby reducing the burden on employers)
Aggregate demand for apprentices, particularly with small and medium-sized employers that may not have the capacity to develop an apprenticeship program independently.
Can be the provider of related instruction and supportive services as appropriate
Educational Institutions:
Develop curriculum for related instruction
Deliver related instruction to apprentices
Can provide college credit for courses completed
Aggregate demand for apprentices
Public Workforce System:
Develop sector and career pathway strategies utilizing apprenticeship
Recruit and screen candidates to be apprentices
Provide basic skills preparation
Provide supportive services such as tools, uniforms, equipment, or textbooks
Contribute funding for on-the-job training or related instruction
Apprenticeship System:
Provided technical assistance and support to new sponsors (employers)
Answer questions about the apprenticeship model
Guide the partners through the steps to develop and register a program
Connect businesses with training providers
Advise partners on sources of funding to support apprenticeships.
Other partners play important roles too. For example, economic development organizations can serve as a convener of regional businesses. The K-12 educational system can help develop pipelines to apprenticeship for students. Community-based organizations may be able to help specific worker populations such as women or veterans and can provide supportive services to apprentices.
Business Involvement
Employers are the foundation of every apprenticeship program, and the skills needed by their workforce are at the core. Businesses must play an active role in building the program and be involved in every step of designing the apprenticeship.
On-the-Job Training
Every program includes structured on-the-job training. Apprentices get hands-on training from an experienced mentor at the job site for typically not less than one year. On-the-job training is developed by mapping the skills and knowledge that the apprentice must learn over the program to be fully proficient at the job.
Related Instruction
Apprentices receive related instruction that compliments on–the–job learning. This instruction delivers the technical, workforce, and academic competencies that apply to the job. It can be provided by a community college, a technical school, an apprenticeship training school, or the business itself. Education partners collaborate with companies to develop the curriculum based on the skills and knowledge needed by apprentices. All partners work together to identify how to pay for the related instruction, including the cost to the employer and other funds that can be leveraged.
Rewards for Skill Gains
Apprentices receive increases in pay as their skills and knowledge increase. Start by establishing an entry and an ending wage, and build in progressive wage increases through the apprenticeship as the apprentices attain skill benchmarks. Progressive wage increases help reward and motivate apprentices as they advance through their training.
National Occupational Credential
Every graduate of a Registered Apprenticeship program receives a nationally recognized credential. As you build the program, keep[ in mind that apprenticeship programs are designed to ensure that apprentices master every skill and have all the knowledge needed to be fully proficient in a specific occupation
Why is it important to register your apprenticeship program?
Technical Assistance and Support. The program joins the ApprenticeshipUSA network, which provides access to a nationwide network of expertise, customer service, and support at no charge.
National Credential. Graduates of Registered Apprenticeship programs receive a national, industry-recognized credential, recommended and backed by the employer and issued by the Kentucky Office of Apprenticeship with the full support of the U.S. Department of Labor
Quality Standards. Registration means the program has met national and independent standards for quality and rigor. Registration tells prospective employees, customers, and suppliers that you invest in your workforce and believe your employees are your most important asset.
Potential for federal, state, and local financial incentives as part of the ApprenticeshipUSA network.
Federal Resources. Businesses and apprentices can access funding and other resources from many federal programs to help support their Registered apprenticeship programs.
What federal resources are available to support Registered Apprenticeship programs?
Over $1 billion for employment and training services is available through Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs across the country. These programs can provide training funds to support on-the-job training and related instruction and support services to help apprentices.
Apprentices may be eligible for Federal Financial Aid under certain circumstances. If the apprenticeship is connected to a school’s program of study, apprentices may be eligible for Pell Grants. $3.000 on average per apprentice, and the school may choose to provide federal work-study grants, $2.000 on average per apprentice.
By becoming approved for the GI Bill, Registered apprenticeship programs can assist their current and future Veteran apprentices with the benefits they’ve earned. Veterans who qualify for the GI Bill can receive a monthly stipend )paid by the Veteran Affairs), in addition to the wages they receive in an apprenticeship registered Apprenticeship program sponsors can be certified under the GI Bill usually within 30 days.
What state resources are available to support Registered Apprenticeship programs?
Bluegrass State Skills Corporation grant funds are available for employers on a competitive basis for training the workforce of a Kentucky employer.
The state's Workforce Innovation Board and local Workforce Innovation Boards have funding available to assist with on-the-job training and the specific needs of the apprentice.
Work-ready scholarships
Tax credits?
With the program registered, you are now ready to move forward to launch your apprenticeship program. The partnerships formed as you were exploring the possibilities of Registered Apprenticeship are as critical now—partner collaboration is essential to successfully launching and sustaining your apprenticeship program.
If you are an employer interested in partnering with us to register an apprenticeship program, please contact us.