APPRENTICESHIP: Completion and Cancellation in the Building Trades

“Long viewed as the premier training system for building trades, Registered Apprenticeship programs face some heightened pressure to increase the percentage of apprentices who complete training and attain a journey license…Many have sought in recent years to determine the magnitude and primary causes of apprenticeship cancellation, to learn how cancellation rates fluctuate over time, and to identify and implement effective ways to raise completion rates. Building upon these efforts, the Aspen Institute Workforce Strategies Initiative (AspenWSI) conducted this study, which analyzed national and state-level data on apprenticeship cancellation rates, as well as findings from multiple field interviews about why some apprentices achieved journey level status while others canceled out of apprenticeship programs. With support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Aspen WSI study also presented emerging program strategies and policy recommendations designed to curb cancellation among building trades apprentices” (p. 5). (Abstractor: Author)

“In an analysis of a national dataset from the Office of Apprenticeship and state datasets, Apsen WSI found that: • Although apprenticeship completion rates vary, it is not uncommon for nearly half of construction apprenticeship agreements initiated in a given year to be cancelled. (p.5) • The Great Recession has led to high numbers of apprentices cancelling or taking longer to complete their programs. (p. 5) • The majority of apprentices who cancel out of their programs do so during the first one to two years. (p. 6) • The timing of cancellation for many apprentices falls within their probationary period. (p. 6) • Minorities tend to cancel at higher rates than their white counterparts. (p. 6) • Women cancel out of construction apprenticeships at higher rates than men. (p. 6) • Apprentices with less formal education struggle to complete construction apprenticeships. (p. 6) • The cancellation rate of apprentices varies by the age of apprentices when they register for their program, with those between ages 25-34 experiencing the lowest cancellation rate and highest completion rate. (p. 6) • Cancellation rates differ among various construction occupations and between union and non-union programs. (p. 7) • Apprentices who entered their program with advanced standing tended to complete faster and in higher percentages than those without prior credit.” (p. 6) (Abstractor: Author)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2013
• Author(s): Helmer, Matt; Altstadt, Dave
• Organizational Author(s): The Aspen Institute, Workforce Strategies Initiative
• Funding Source: Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Laura Aron
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies