Business Roundtable, National Governors Association Release Paper on Opportunities for States and Business to Expand Registered Apprenticeships

Washington - In recognition of National Apprenticeship Week, Business Roundtable and the National Governors Association (NGA) released an apprenticeship paper titled, “Advancing Apprenticeship: Opportunities for States and Business to Create and Expand Registered Apprenticeship Programs.” The paper highlights the significance of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs), which are intensive programs that offer an individual paid on-the-job experience. Coupled with classroom learning, RAPs provide a jobseeker with the necessary skills to secure gainful employment. 

“RAPs are beneficial for both employers and apprentices, including through the development of a steady talent pipeline, decreased turnover, improved productivity, and a diversification among teams, with a notable 44 percent return on investment for employers,” reads the paper. “There is recent momentum in registered apprenticeships across diverse sectors, due to factors such as a tight labor market, the rising cost of traditional postsecondary education, and the demand for a more skilled workforce.”

RAPs are one of several strategies and opportunities employers and states are using to offer individuals a viable career. The brief features RAP success stories across several states and provides recommendations for both employers and states to consider as they collaborate and scale RAPs in response to the evolving economic and workforce landscape.

Business Roundtable continues to engage with policymakers on ways to modernize and improve our federal workforce development systems, including registered apprenticeships.