PMCR and ILEPI Report | Living Wages in Registered Apprenticeship Programs | An Assessment by Industry, Demographics, State, and Labor Policy

“A new PMCR study commissioned by the United States Department of Labor has revealed that registered apprenticeship programs—career training alternatives to college in which enrollment has doubled over the past decade—dramatically increases the ability of participants to afford basic needs in their communities, with union-affiliated programs delivering the biggest gains across all occupational sectors. Analyzing data on nearly 2.8 million registered apprentices from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Management Data System (RAPIDS) between 2019 and 2022, the report finds that 76 percent of all apprentices earned starting wages of $15 per hour or more. PMCR Director Dr. Robert Bruno notes that study shows that “policies that strengthen collective bargaining rights and encourage greater levels of cooperation between employers and unions would decidedly bolster the U.S. system of registered apprenticeships, improve completion rates, deliver upward economic mobility for more Americans pursuing careers that do not require college degrees.” See report here.