The Apprentice Journey: A Framework for Advancing an Equitable and Inclusive Apprenticeship System
Apprenticeship provides opportunities for individuals to access well-paying careers through a training model that combines paid on-the-job-training and classroom education. This model can support access to opportunities for economic mobility for nontraditional learners and individuals from historically underserved communities. However, many promising candidates never pursue apprenticeship, and those who do may not be selected for or complete their apprenticeship programs.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the overall apprenticeship completion rate is 46% and rates for women and Black apprentices are even lower. Efforts have been made to align workforce, education, and social service systems in order to increase equitable access to apprenticeship and to retain diverse apprentices. Yet, few resources exist that specifically focus on how individuals, especially those who have been historically underrepresented in apprenticeship, experience entry into and participation in the apprenticeship system—their Apprentice Journey.
The Apprentice Journey Framework is a visual representation of individuals’ experiences, processes, needs, and perceptions throughout their engagement with the apprenticeship system, from first awareness of apprenticeship opportunities through completion of apprenticeship and next steps in their career. The framework helps policymakers, leaders, practitioners, and partners across the apprenticeship ecosystem to examine the different paths individuals travel to access, participate in, and complete an apprenticeship. The framework allows users to identify areas across the Apprentice Journey that have the potential to create barriers for individuals—surfacing insights that promote implementing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility strategies to increase participation and retention.
