Do Registered Apprentices and Pre‑Apprentices Experience Sustained Earnings Growth? Evidence from the American Apprenticeship Initiative

• In Event: New Evidence on the Implementation and Impact of Apprenticeship Programs

Abstract

This paper presents new evidence on the long‑term labor market outcomes of participants in the U.S. Department of Labor’s American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI), a $175 million investment designed to expand registered apprenticeship into sectors with few apprenticeships—such as healthcare and information technology—and widen talent pipelines to registered apprenticeship programs, strengthening workforces in those key sectors while creating pathways to economic opportunity. Using linked administrative data from the National Directory of New Hires and program records from DOL, we examine earnings and employment trajectories for more than 7,500 apprentices and 2,200 pre‑apprentices for six years after program entry and three to five years after program completion.The analyses provide descriptive evidence on post‑program labor market outcomes, extending earlier short‑term findings that were limited to apprentices in shorter programs. Results show substantial and sustained earnings growth for both apprentices and pre‑apprentices. Apprentices experience a nearly 50 percent increase in inflation‑adjusted annual earnings by the third year after program completion, with the largest gains occurring during the first year of program participation. Earnings growth is especially pronounced among apprentices in information technology, healthcare, and construction occupations, as well as among participants in longer‑duration programs and those entering apprenticeship as new hires. Pre‑apprentices also experience large and sustained gains, with average earnings nearly tripling within five years of program completion, underscoring the role of pre‑apprenticeship as an effective on‑ramp to skilled employment and registered apprenticeship.The length of follow‑up and the breadth of occupations analyzed contribute long‑term evidence to a literature on registered apprenticeship that has largely focused on short‑term outcomes, traditional construction trades, or limited geographic samples. By documenting sustained earnings and employment trajectories up to six years after program entry across multiple sectors, the findings help clarify whether observed short‑term gains persist as participants move through and beyond training. These results have important implications for workforce policy, including decisions about where and how to expand apprenticeship, the value of longer‑duration programs, and the role of pre‑apprenticeship as an entry point for individuals who may benefit from additional preparation prior to entering registered apprenticeship. More broadly, the findings inform ongoing efforts to build an evidence base around employment and training programs that balance immediate labor market attachment with longer‑term career advancement and earnings growth.

Author

• Douglas Walton, Abt Global
  Presenting Author