Approaches to Expanding Registered Apprenticeship in Rural Areas: Takeaways from Seven States Research Brief

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Release Date: December 31, 2024

Approaches to Expanding Registered Apprenticeship in Rural Areas: Takeaways from Seven States Research Brief

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Topic

Apprenticeships ,  Community College ,  Employment and Training ,  Substance Use Disorder and Work

Research Methods

Study Population

DOL Partner Agency

U.S. Regions

U.S. States

Country

About the Brief

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Registered apprenticeship provides an opportunity to help strengthen rural workforce development and labor markets by training the rural workforce for local industry needs. This brief describes approaches to promoting rural apprenticeship expansion based on discussion with state apprenticeship administrators, local apprenticeship partners, and employers in seven states.

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Research Questions

  • What are states’ strategies for expanding registered apprenticeships in rural areas?
  • How do state apprenticeship systems and their partners engage employers to create apprenticeship opportunities in rural areas?
  • What strategies promote the recruitment and retention of apprentices in rural areas?
  • What apprenticeship-related strategies have states used to combat the opioid epidemic?

Key Takeaways

  • States reported that the main challenges to registered apprenticeship in rural areas include difficulties engaging small rural employers who have limited resources and misconceptions about apprenticeship, limited state capacity and presence in rural areas, long commuting distances and structural barriers for apprentices like transportation, and a limited pool of skilled workers to fill apprenticeship slots.
  • Several approaches emerged across the states in the study that respondents found to be promising for engaging rural employers in apprenticeship, including partnering with community colleges, industry organizations, and regional and local workforce staff; identifying solutions for incumbent workers; and pursuing nontraditional industries and occupations for apprenticeship that align with local supply and demand, such as public health apprenticeships to combat the opioid crisis.
  • States also described strategies that they found promising for connecting workers to apprenticeship opportunities, including incorporating online related technical instruction (RTI) into training, recruiting through community colleges and secondary educational institutions, pre-apprenticeship programs, and providing supportive services like transportation.

Citation

Krantz, A. (2024). Urban Institute. Approaches to Expanding Registered Apprenticeship in Rural Areas: Takeaways from Seven States. Chief Evaluation Office, U.S. Department of Labor.

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The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) sponsors independent evaluations and research, primarily conducted by external, third-party contractors in accordance with the Department of Labor Evaluation Policy and CEO’s research development process.