Training for Success: A Policy to Expand Apprenticeships in the United States

“Apprenticeships might sound old-fashioned, but there is nothing old-fashioned about the wage premium, career opportunities, and low-cost education afforded to today’s apprentices. Nor is there anything old-fashioned about businesses boosting their bottom lines and gaining a competitive edge. The evidence is clear that apprenticeships improve worker outcomes and benefited businesses, explaining why so many other economically advanced countries use them to develop competitive, skilled workforces. By expanding apprenticeships in the United States, policymakers can create pathways to well-paying middle-class jobs for young Americans, while helping businesses meet the need for skilled workers” (p. 53). (Abstractor: Author)

This report “outlined a set of policy recommendations that, if implemented, would…set the stage for a large-scale expansion of apprenticeships in the United States. [It recommended] improvements to marketing efforts to generate demand from businesses, tax incentives to help businesses defray the cost of training apprentices, and competitive grants to support promising public-private partnerships. [The report further recommended] improving access to workers by establishing an online database of openings and launching an initiative to bring recent high school graduates into apprenticeships. [It recommended] improvements to research and data collection that will enhance our understanding of the economic benefits of apprenticeships and how to expand their reach to women and workers in nontraditional occupations. [The authors believe their] proposals can connect workers to good jobs, enable businesses to boost their productivity, and offer taxpayers a high return on investment” (p. 3). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2013
• Author(s): Olinsky, Ben; Ayres, Sarah
• Organizational Author(s): Center for American Progress
• Funding Source: Funding source not identified
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies