Broadening the apprenticeship pipeline

Apprenticeship and other forms of work-based learning are important tools for helping workers acquire skills employers need. To reach the most workers and businesses, more work needs to be done to diversify the apprenticeship pipeline to include more women, low-wage workers, and parents of young children. Underrepresented workers without adequate industry experience often need pre-employment or pre-apprenticeship training before they reach the skill level necessary to enter work-based learning programs. But, training alone may not be sufficient to ensure success. Pre-apprenticeship...  [+] Show more

Apprenticeship and other forms of work-based learning are important tools for helping workers acquire skills employers need. To reach the most workers and businesses, more work needs to be done to diversify the apprenticeship pipeline to include more women, low-wage workers, and parents of young children. Underrepresented workers without adequate industry experience often need pre-employment or pre-apprenticeship training before they reach the skill level necessary to enter work-based learning programs. But, training alone may not be sufficient to ensure success. Pre-apprenticeship programs that provide both training and access to child care can offer an important on-ramp to an apprenticeship pathway for a broad range of workers. Once in an apprenticeship, child care continues to be an important support for ensuring participant success since starting wages are lower than those apprentices can expect to make once they've completed their program. This brief discusses the significant roles affordable child care and pre-work-based learning training like pre-apprenticeship have in expanding access to and success in work-based learning programs. The report highlights the best practices for offering child care during and after pre-apprenticeship programs from Moore Community House's Mississippi Women in Construction program and offers federal and state policy recommendations to make these supports available to more workers across the country.

Excerpt from publication.