What is Registered Apprenticeship?

Registered Apprenticeship prepares workers for jobs while meeting the needs of business for a highly-skilled workforce. It is an employer-driven, “learn while you earn” model that combines on-the-job training, provided by the employer that hires the apprentice, with job-related instruction tied to the attainment of national skills standards. Apprenticeships also involve progressive increases in an apprentice’s skills and wages.

There are five components to typical apprenticeship programs. These include:

• Business Involvement
  Employers are the foundation of every apprenticeship program. They play an active role in building the program and remain involved every step of the way. 

• Structured On-the-Job Training
  Apprentices receive hands-on training from an experienced mentor at the job site. OJT focuses on the skills and knowledge an apprentice must learn during the program to be fully proficient on the job. This training is based on national industry standards, customized to the needs of the particular employer.

• Related Instruction
  One of the unique aspects of apprenticeships is that they combine on-the-job learning with related instruction on the technical and academic skills that apply to the job. Education partners collaborate with business to develop the curriculum, which often incorporates established national-level skill standards. The related instruction may be provided by community colleges, technical schools, or apprenticeship training schools – or by the business itself. It can be delivered at a school, online, or at the job site.

• Rewards for Skill Gains
  Apprentices receive wages when they begin work, and receive pay increases as they meet benchmarks for skill attainment. This helps reward and motivate apprentices as they advance through their training.
  
  
• Nationally-recognized Credential
  Every graduate of a Registered Apprenticeship program receives a nationally-recognized credential. This is a portable credential that signifies to employers that apprentices are fully qualified for the job.

How does a Registered Apprenticeship program benefit workers?

From their first day of work, apprentices receive a paycheck that is guaranteed to increase as their training progresses. Apprentices also complete a combination of job-related instruction and hands-on training at the job site leading to a nationally-recognized credential.

Other specific benefits include:

• Hands-on career training: Apprentices receive practical on-the-job training in a wide variety of occupations and industries, such as healthcare, construction, information technology, transportation, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
• An education: Apprentices receive hands-on training resulting in improved skills and competencies as well as the potential to earn college credit toward an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
• A career: Once the apprenticeship is complete, workers are on their way to a successful long-term career with a competitive salary and little or no educational debt.
• National credential: When an apprentice graduates from a career training program, he or she earns a certified portable credential accepted by industries and employers across the U.S.