Apprenticeship & Pre-Apprenticeship

Research and evaluation conducted by the Economic Opportunities Program’s Workforce Strategies Initiative explore strategies that help workers attain stability and mobility, including through training, education, and broader systems change.

In the years since the end of the Great Recession, the unemployment rate has declined much faster than the poverty rate, and more and more Americans are struggling to find work that allows them to support themselves and their families. WSI’s current research explores “raise the floor and build ladders” strategies, which improve the quality of low-wage jobs and promote mobility for low-wage workers.

Cover page for the report "Unpacking the Work of Work-Based Learning"
Publications

Unpacking the Work of Work-Based Learning

Improving Jobs to Improve Care
Publications

Improving Jobs to Improve Care

One of the biggest workforce challenges we face as a country is how to meet the growing demands for home care workers.

Apprenticeship: Completion and Cancellation in the Building Trades
Publications

Apprenticeship: Completion and Cancellation in the Building Trades

As one of our nation’s strongest training models, apprenticeship provides individuals the unique opportunity to work and develop their skills at the same time through a mix of paid on-the-job training and classroom instruction.

Profiles of the Residential Construction Workforce and the Workers Defense Project
Publications

Profiles of the Residential Construction Workforce and the Workers Defense Project

This report details the dynamics and challenges of the residential construction industry and provides a profile of the Workers Defense Project, a non-profit and membership-based organization based in Austin, Texas that seeks to provide low-wage workers, particularly those in the construction industry, with resources to improve their working and living conditions.

Overview of Workers in Residential Construction
Publications

Overview of Workers in Residential Construction

This resource provides an overview of residential construction work in the United States including information about the demographics of workers in the industry, the size of the workforce, wages and benefits, and working conditions.

A Solid Foundation: Key Capacities of Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
Publications

A Solid Foundation: Key Capacities of Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

This publication shares research from site visits conducted to construction pre-apprenticeship programs in Baltimore, Hartford, Milwaukee, and Portland, Oregon.

Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Programs: Interviews with Field Leaders
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Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Programs: Interviews with Field Leaders

This publication shares research from interviews with leaders from 25 promising and innovative pre-apprenticeship programs from across the country.

St. Paul Building Trades Council (St. Paul, Minn.)
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St. Paul Building Trades Council (St. Paul, Minn.)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

Project CRAFT-Avon Park (Avon Park, Fla.)
Publications

Project CRAFT-Avon Park (Avon Park, Fla.)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

Pathways to Success: Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. (Portland, Ore.)
Publications

Pathways to Success: Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. (Portland, Ore.)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

Newark/Essex Construction Careers Consortium PreApprenticeship Training Program (Newark, N.J.)
Publications

Newark/Essex Construction Careers Consortium PreApprenticeship Training Program (Newark, N.J.)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

New York City District Council of Carpenters: Building Works (New York, N.Y.)
Publications

New York City District Council of Carpenters: Building Works (New York, N.Y.)

This document is a profile of a construction pre-apprenticeship program and provides information about the program’s history, training design and curriculum, funding, partners and industry engagement.

About the Workforce Strategies Initiative

The Workforce Strategies Initiative, part of the Economic Opportunities Program, uses research and evaluation to explore strategies that help workers attain stability and mobility, including through training, education, and broader systems change.

About the Economic Opportunities Program

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

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More from the Workforce Strategies Initiative

Cover Page for the publication "Race and Gender Wealth Equity and the Role of Employee Share Ownership"
Publications

Race and Gender Wealth Equity and the Role of Employee Share Ownership

Employee ownership can promote equity, improve job quality, and boost business performance.

Cover page for the report "Unpacking the Work of Work-Based Learning"
Publications

Unpacking the Work of Work-Based Learning

Enhancing Conversations Between Employers and Workforce Professionals
Blog Posts

Enhancing Conversations Between Employers and Workforce Professionals

Many young people need job and training opportunities. How do workforce professionals talk about these issues with employers?

Voices from the Field: Engaging Employers to Connect Young Adults to Good Fit Employment
Publications

Voices from the Field: Engaging Employers to Connect Young Adults to Good Fit Employment

Young workers are facing dire employment prospects. But asking employers the right questions can help identify opportunities.

Cover page: "The Benefits of Bridging Divides: How YouthBuild Philly Shares its Supportive Practices to Build Business Value and Better Jobs"
Publications

The Benefits of Bridging Divides: How YouthBuild Philly Shares its Supportive Practices to Build Business Value and Better Jobs

YouthBuild Philly shows how businesses can develop supportive practices to help young people succeed at work.

Cover Page: "Genesis at Work: Evaluating the Effects of Manufacturing Extension on Business Success and Job Quality"
Publications

Genesis at Work: Evaluating the Effects of Manufacturing Extension on Business Success and Job Quality

Workforce practices are central to a firm’s success. What happens when companies focus on people and process equally?

A Toolkit to Engage Employers and Opportunity Youth on the Future of Work
Publications

A Toolkit to Engage Employers and Opportunity Youth on the Future of Work

How can we ensure Opportunity Youth are positioned to succeed in the future of work?

Cost of Turnover Tool: Make the business case to improve retention through upskilling and stability
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Cost of Turnover Tool

Estimate how much your business spends each year replacing staff in one occupation.