Helping States Expand and Diversify Registered Apprenticeships

The Build Back Better Act sets aside billions of dollars to support workforce development and worker protection across the country. This includes funding for registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs, which could ultimately serve 1 to 2 million new apprentices. National Apprenticeship Week (November 15–21) is an opportunity to reflect on the lessons learned from ongoing efforts to expand and diversify registered apprenticeships across the country, highlighted in research conducted by Mathematica, the Urban Institute, and Social Policy Research Associates, and supported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.

To mark this occasion, workforce experts held a webinar on Friday, December 3, 2021, from 1:00–2:15 p.m. ET, that provided insights into the successes and challenges faced by states and intermediaries that can inform federal and state efforts to increase access to apprenticeship and strengthen workforce development. The panel engaged experts from the workforce and apprenticeship systems in a discussion of how state workforce agencies and their partners can continue to strengthen links between apprenticeship and existing workforce and education systems. Representatives from Maryland and the National Urban League discussed their efforts such as, working with local workforce boards and strengthening the pipelines for diverse applicants to apprenticeships.

Our distinguished panel of experts included the following:

• Linda Rosenberg, Mathematica (moderator)
• James Foti, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship
• Daniel Kuehn, Urban Institute
• Christopher MacLarion, Maryland Department of Labor
• Samina Sattar, Mathematica
• Kevin Ly, National Urban League