Apprenticeships
On-The-Job Training

A registered apprenticeship is a formalized, structured training program combining on-the-job training and related technical instruction in which paid employees receive practical and technical training in a highly skilled occupation. Apprenticeship is industry-driven career training. Industry determines the skills that are essential to sustain a quality workforce.

Apprenticeships can last from one to six years (occupation-dependent). During this time, apprentices work and learn under the direction of experienced journeyworkers. Over time, apprentices are provided the diversity and complexity of training that leads to becoming highly skilled in their chosen occupations. As they gain skill, they are compensated through an increase in wages.

Having skilled workers is critical to the success of any business. As we progress in the 21st century, the need for skilled workers is only going to become more critical. By participating in a registered apprenticeship program, workers can equip themselves for rewarding careers in a wide range of interesting and challenging occupations.

The people attracted to apprenticeable occupations come from all walks of life: young men and women right out of high school, ex-military personnel, people wanting to make career changes, and dislocated workers seeking new opportunities. Those with the drive to better themselves and the dedication needed to acquire the skills, knowledge, and experience required to succeed can benefit from participation in a registered apprenticeship program. Currently, there are over 850 occupations in a wide range of industries that can be learned through apprenticeship training, and more are being added all of the time.

Workers who achieve journey-level (technician) status by completing a registered apprenticeship program have the opportunity to earn above-average wages. The more they learn, the higher the pay. Generally, apprentices are paid 50 percent of a skilled journeyworker's wage to start. Wages for apprentices increase at regular intervals as their job skills increase. At the successful completion of the apprenticeship, they become skilled, certified journey-level workers and receive a nationally recognized certificate. The salary for journey-level workers competes with those of college graduates and even those with advanced degrees.

"Apprenticeship has been a great investment of my time, a great opportunity. It's been 5 years of the most productive time I've spent, and it will pay benefits for the rest of my career," says Robert Boone, a plumbing apprentice. "Apprenticeship is a historical thing going back centuries. It's how knowledge has been perpetuated… from master to student. It's kind of neat to be connected with that."

The benefits of apprenticeships are many. Andrew Thistlewaite, apprenticeship graduate in culinary arts, shares a few. "Apprenticeship offered the way for me to learn the skills I needed through hands-on experience in the real world. The path is wide open for me now. I mean, I have a career and I know where I am headed."

Excerpted from the September, 2000 pamphlet, "Registered Apprenticeship: High Wage, High Skill, Career Opportunities in the 21st Century" published by the US Dept. of Labor Employment and Training Administration, Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services (ATELS), and the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training (BAT).