Apprenticeship FAQ

What is an apprenticeable occupation?

An apprenticeable occupation is a skilled trade which possesses all of the following characteristics:

1. It is customarily learned in a practical way through a structured, systematic program of on-the-job supervised training.
2. It is clearly identified and commonly recognized throughout an industry.
3. It involves manual, mechanical and technical skills and knowledge which require a minimum of 2,000 hours of on-the job work experience.
4. It requires related instruction to supplement the on-the-job training.

What is Registered Apprenticeship?

Registered Apprenticeship is a proven system for training employees in a variety of occupations that require a wide range of skills and knowledge. It is an ideal way for employers to build and maintain a skilled workforce. Registered Apprenticeship combines supervised on-the-job training with technical classroom studies in subjects related to the apprentice's chosen occupation. Apprenticeship, by virtue of its success in preparing skilled workers, helps America compete more effectively in the global economy, and contributes to America's economic development, sustained economic growth, and national security.

Who operates a Registered Apprenticeship program?

Apprenticeship programs are operated by both the public and private sectors. Apprenticeship sponsors, who are employers, employer associations, and labor-management organizations, register programs with federal and state government agencies. Sponsors provide on-the-job learning and academic instruction to apprentices according to their industry standards and licensing requirements.

Essential ingredients in apprenticeship:

There must be an employer/employee situation in existence to establish an apprenticeship program. All apprenticeship programs must meet minimum guideline requirements delineated in Federal and State laws and regulations. These include the development and implementation of Registered Apprenticeship Program Standards. These standards contain the 22 basic elements to establish a registered program. They embody the terms and conditions of employment, training, and supervision of one or more apprentices. Elements contained in the standards include wage progression, term of apprenticeship, safety, ratio of apprentices to mentors, EEO guidelines and record keeping etc.

How does Registered Apprenticeship work?

Once the form is completed and signed by the principles, it must be forwarded to the agency for registration and the appropriate signature of the agency representative. It will then be returned to sponsor and apprentice for their records.

Through the Apprenticeship Agreement an apprentice, as an employee, receives supervised, structured on-the-job training combined with related technical instruction. Related instruction is a required component of an apprenticeship program which supplements the on-the-job training. A minimum of 144 hours per year is required for each occupation. The related instruction may be given in a classroom through trade, industrial or correspondence courses of equivalent value, or other forms of self study approved by the registration/approval agency.

Upon completing a one to five year (2,000 hours to 10,000 hours) apprenticeship, the worker receives an Apprenticeship Completion Certificate and is recognized as a qualified worker nationwide. This Certificate is one of the oldest, most basic, and most highly portable industry credentials in use today. The Certificate is issued by a federally approved State Apprenticeship Council or Agency or, in those States not having such an agency, by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

What role does government play in apprenticeship?

The National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 authorizes the federal government, in cooperation with the states, to oversee the nation's apprenticeship system. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, in conjunction with state apprenticeship agencies, is responsible for registering apprenticeship programs that meet federal and state standards, issuing Certificates of Completion to apprentices, encouraging the development of new programs through marketing and technical assistance, protecting the safety of and welfare of apprentices, and assuring that all programs provide high quality training to their apprentices.

Do Apprentices Receive Wages?

Yes, apprentices in Registered Apprenticeship programs earn while they learn, because they are full-time employees during their apprenticeship. A progressively increasing schedule of wages is based on the experienced worker's hourly wage of the apprentice's occupation. These increases occur with satisfactory progress in both related instruction and on-the-job training until wages reach 85 to 90% of the rate paid the experienced worker in the occupation. Generally, apprentices start at 50% of the wage an employer pays an experienced worker in that occupation (but the apprentice cannot receive less than the state minimum wage). The apprentices' wages are increased periodically throughout the apprenticeship to reflect their mastery of the occupational skills and their ability to work independently. In developing and implementing a wage schedule, the sponsor agrees to grant periodic wage increments if the apprentices are performing satisfactorily.

A successful Registered Apprenticeship Program can:

• Attract highly qualified applicants.
• Reduce turnover.
• Value the employee commitment to training.
• Improve employee morale.
• Reduce absenteeism.
• Increase productivity.
• Reduce the cost of training.
• Improve community relations.
• Improve employee relations.
• Ensure availability of related technical instruction.
• Enhance problem-solving ability of workers.
• Ensure versatility of workers.
• Address the industry's need to remain competitive by investing in the development and continuous upgrade of the skills of its workforce.

More employer benefits include:

• Developing a reservoir of skilled workers, many of whom are potential supervisors.
• Lowering costs by increasing productivity as employees become more skilled.
• Reducing turnover and absenteeism through employee motivation to learn new job skills.
• Receiving State and National recognition for efforts to train people in skills necessary to become contributing members of society.
• It provides a more flexible workforce because of greater employee skills.
• Creates customer satisfaction generated by quality workmanship.

Some benefits to the apprentice include:

• Apprenticeships often serve as an entry point into a career that would otherwise be closed to an individual due to lack of experience.
• Apprentices earn while they learn. They learn a skilled trade while earning increasing wages and have a sense of job security.
• The skills apprentices learn are transferable from one employer to another and generally from one area of the country to another.
• Serving an apprenticeship provides a person with a lifetime skill and a comprehensive knowledge of the trade allowing the apprentice to compete more effectively in the labor market.

Who does Registered Apprenticeship serve?

In the United States today, some 40,000 program sponsors offer Registered Apprenticeship training to approximately 325,000 apprentices. These training programs serve a diverse population including minorities, women, youth and dislocated workers. Currently, at least two-thirds of all apprenticeship training positions are in the construction and manufacturing industries. Experts agree that apprenticeship has the potential to benefit numerous other industries as well (e.g., service, retail, healthcare, public sector). Thus, the possibilities for expanding the apprenticeship model - thereby meeting the needs of many more American companies and citizens in search of high quality training opportunities - are virtually unlimited.

© 2006 AHDI www.ahdionline.org