So What Is Apprenticeship Exactly?

Apprenticeship is an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway that allows employers to develop and prepare their future workforce. At the same time, individuals obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, mentorship, and a portable credential. For job seekers with disabilities, apprenticeship is especially valuable because it promotes on-the-job learning and offers supports that can create a viable pathway to a well-paying career.

Through this “earn-and-learn model,” apprentices receive wages from day one and gain pay raises along the way as their skill levels increase. For someone who has completed a Registered Apprenticeship—which is a proven model that has been validated by the Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency—the average annual wage is $70,000, versus $51,000 for a college graduate and $38,000 for someone with a high school diploma.

Learn about several resources related to apprenticeship including:

• the experience of a veteran apprentice with a service-connected disability,
• the Veterans Apprenticeship training modules,
• the Apprenticeship Inclusion Models Briefing Paper Series,
• the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship, and
• a webinar on Registered Apprenticeship.