Skilling at Scale Strategy for Employers: Apprenticeships

The U.S. workforce is facing a skills gap with many unfilled jobs and a shortage of well-qualified candidates. This issue is particularly pronounced in sectors like transportation, logistics, IT, cybersecurity, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. The skills gap is further exacerbated by the arrival of AI-related technologies, making it difficult for businesses to hire and maintain staff.

Many job seekers lack the skills that employers urgently need, beyond technical and occupational skills. Their needs often include adaptable skills like communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and complex problem-solving. To address these challenges, many apprenticeship programs provide on-the-job, work-based learning opportunities for job seekers across the country. For years, AIR has collaborated with states to expand apprenticeship programs and serve as a national apprenticeship intermediary.

This brief highlights how apprenticeship programs can lead to a culture of excellence and learning at all levels, while fostering knowledge transfer and strategic collaboration. Apprenticeships are an underutilized talent acquisition pathway that holds great potential for the U.S. economy. By investing in apprenticeship programs, employers can more quickly and effectively meet their most urgent business needs without losing sight of their long-term goals.