U.S. Department of Labor Blog
This year, we’re celebrating the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week! This weeklong celebration helps us showcase the value of Registered Apprenticeship in developing a highly skilled workforce that meets industry needs, creating pathways for career seekers to catapult into good jobs, advancing racial and gender equity, and strengthening our economy.
Since National Apprenticeship Week was established in 2015, our ApprenticeshipUSA partners – representing industry, education, government, workforce systems and equity organizations – have hosted approximately 10,000 events for more than 1.4 million people and issued over 1,800 proclamations in support of Registered Apprenticeship.
The collective outreach of partners helps broaden public awareness of Registered Apprenticeship, and the dedicated efforts to expand the National Apprenticeship System have led the system to grow from 360,000 active apprentices in 2015 to 660,000 today.
Let’s highlight a few additional accomplishments from that time period:
- Nearly 23,000 new Registered Apprenticeship programs created by industry partners, a 31% increase.
Over 2.3 million new apprentices, an 80% increase, including underrepresented populations such as women, people of color, youth (16 –24), individuals with disabilities and veterans.
Strong growth across all industries. While construction apprenticeships have reached an all-time high of over 332,000, more than 333,000 apprentices have joined less traditional fields, including nearly 70,000 in manufacturing.
The theme for National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from Nov. 17-23, 2024, is “10 Years of Engagement, Expansion and Innovation,” reflecting the transformative power of Registered Apprenticeship and its ability to bring together key national, regional, state and local stakeholders from across the country to find workforce solutions and create essential on-ramps for career seekers.
We’ll also recognize daily themes:
- Monday, Nov. 18: Youth and Young Adult Apprenticeship Day
- Tuesday, Nov. 19: Registered Apprenticeship in New and Emerging Industries and Around the Globe
- Wednesday, Nov. 20: Expanding Registered Apprenticeship to Underserved Populations
- Thursday, Nov. 21: Women in Apprenticeship
- Friday, Nov. 22: Federal Apprenticeship and Veterans in Apprenticeship
Get involved
With hundreds of events already added to apprenticeship.gov, we encourage visit the site and find one you can attend. There are virtual and in-person options that you can search by industry, event type and more.
You can also find resources to develop and post your own event or proclamation, or join a community of Registered Apprenticeship champions across the country. Need ideas? Check out last year’s report and watch a public webinar to learn how to get involved! We look forward to celebrating with you.
John Ladd is the administrator for the Office of Apprenticeship in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This blog was updated on Oct. 18 to reflect new data on the number of new Registered Apprenticeship programs created by industry partners.