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Apprenticeships for America (AFA), a new nonprofit established in March 2022, launched an initiative to help the United States bring registered apprenticeships to the scale experienced by other advanced economies, such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The initiative is focused on building a robust, sustainable apprenticeship system that includes research, advocacy and grassroots mobilization. The work contains two main components:
The initiative is focused on apprenticeships that are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, because they offer a unified federal system of quality assurance, with checks aimed at ensuring apprenticeships lead to better jobs and a national, industry-recognized credential. The AFA and its initiative were founded to respond to the challenges facing a strained and overburdened U.S. labor market.
The U.S. education and training system is not up to the task of ensuring that all workers gain the skills employers are seeking. Too many students fall short in pursuing degrees yet end up with excessive student debt. The “academic only” emphasis of schooling often fails those who learn best by doing. Employers in turn are frustrated with the dearth of candidates with the relevant occupational and employability skills, yet too few employers provide the work-based learning vital to achieving a skilled workforce.
The apprenticeship model, in which mostly early-career workers receive training alongside the benefits of full-time employees, is recognized worldwide as the most cost-effective approach to equipping individuals, especially young people, with the technical skills and training required to transition successfully into long-term skilled careers. Yet, in comparison with major industrial economies, registered apprenticeship programs are underutilized by U.S. employers. Despite increases over the past generation, U.S. apprenticeships are only one-eighth the level of peer countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
The leadership team of the AFA includes former U.S. Department of Labor officials, state policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders.
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