What are the components of Registered Apprenticeship?
Registered Apprenticeships are apprenticeship programs that are well-defined and documented,
and are approved by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL has been overseeing
and registering apprentices in the US for nearly one hundred years. Registered Apprenticeships are employer-driven and sponsored. A company or union/labor
organization sponsoring a Registered Apprenticeship Program determines whom they will
employ, and apprentice.
All high-quality Registered Apprenticeship programs consist of five core components.
- Employer Designed and Driven
- Structured On-the-Job Learning (OJL)
- Related Instruction (RI)
- Wage Progression
- National Credential
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What is an Apprenticeship program sponsor?
Registered Apprenticeship
Any employer, association, committee, or organization that operates a Registered Apprenticeship
Program. This entity assumes the full responsibility for administration and operation
of the apprenticeship program. Sponsors can be a single business or a consortium of
businesses. Alternatively, the sponsor can be a workforce intermediary, such as an
industry association or a labor-management organization. Community colleges and community-based
organizations can also serve as sponsors of apprenticeship programs.
Sponsors design and execute apprenticeship programs, provide jobs to apprentices,
oversee training development, and provide hands-on learning and technical instruction
for apprentices. The programs operate on a voluntary basis and they often receive
support by collaborating with community-based organizations, educational institutions,
the workforce system, and other stakeholders.
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Is Apprenticeship a job?
Yes! Apprenticeship is an “earn and learn” model – apprentices start working and earning
wages from the first day on the job. Apprentices obtain paid, on-the-job learning (OJL), related instruction (RI), and
a DOL certificate of completion or journeyperson card, both which are a nationally-recognized,
portable credential demonstrating an apprentice's mastery of chosen occupation that
is widely understood in business and industry. |
What is the length of a Registered Apprenticeship?
Depending on the occupation, Registered Apprenticeships lasts from one to six years.
For each year of the registered apprenticeship, the apprentice typically receives
2,000 hours of on-the-job learning (OJL) and 144 hours of related instruction (RI)
in college classes. A majority of apprenticeships last four years in length.
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Can previous work or classroom experience be used towards completion of an Apprenticeship
program?
Yes, but it varies by program. If your prior coursework aligns with a registered apprentice
program, and your sponsor approves this coursework as relevant, then it may count
toward completion of your apprenticeship program. A determination will be made on
a case-by-case basis. With accepted credit, you are required to participate in at
least 6 months (equivalent to 1,000 hours) of a Registered Apprenticeship Program
to complete the credential.
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Do you earn college credit while participating in an Apprenticeship program?
Yes! Most apprenticeship opportunities include on-the-job learning and classroom instruction.
Therefore, apprentices can earn up to 45 credits toward a certificate or degree.
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What will I receive after I complete a Registered Apprenticeship program?
The Office of Apprenticeship or the State Apprenticeship Agency grant apprentices
who have successfully completed a registered apprenticeship program with a nationally
recognized Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship.
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