Registered apprenticeships are training programs in which participants get the opportunity to “earn while they learn,” with tuition costs covered by employers and labor-management organizations who gain access to a pool of skilled, productive, and safe workers. In 2019, Illinois had more than 17,000 active apprentices – a growth of 44% since 2011.

Through registered apprenticeship programs, the construction industry– which accounts for 85% of all apprentices – offers the largest privately-financed system of higher education in Illinois.

Joint labor-management apprenticeship programs are the gold standard in Illinois.

Joint labor-management apprenticeship programs in construction deliver training hours, graduation rates, and competitive earnings that rival the performance of Illinois’ four-year public universities.

Apprenticeships are the bachelor’s degrees of the construction industry, and are a great alternative to college for Illinois’ youth.

Joint labor-management programs account for 97% of all active construction apprentices in Illinois, 93% in Minnesota, 92% in California, 85% in Pennsylvania, 82% in Ohio, 81% in Wisconsin, 79% in Kentucky, 77% in Indiana, 75% in Michigan, 63% in Oregon, and 55% in Iowa.