Ten Ways to Make Apprenticeship Central to Learning and Careers in 21st Century Pennsylvania

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

Report analyzing how Pennsylvania can expand registered apprenticeship (RA) through policy and program options. It reviews challenges to growing apprenticeships, including limited visibility, uneven availability across occupations, diversity gaps, class bias, management barriers, and insufficient state capacity. It also details benefits for employers and job seekers, then proposes ten actionable ways to scale apprenticeship by engaging employers and workforce systems, building digital resource hubs, strengthening community practice, aligning funding, and upgrading data and dashboards to track expansion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time2 h 1 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Executive Summary

Challenges to Expanding Apprenticeship

Benefits of Apprenticeship

Ten Ways for Pennsylvania to Grow Apprenticeships

Ten Ways to Make Apprenticeship Central to Learning and Careers in 21st Century Pennsylvania Policy Options to Double Apprenticeship by 2025 KEYSTONE RESEARCH CENTER A Report to the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO ) July 2019 This report was researched and written for the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training office by Stephen Herzenberg and Diana Polson of the Keystone Research Center on subcontract to Keystone Development Partnership. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................................. 5 Challenges to Expanding Apprenticeship ..................................................................................................... 6 Benefits of Apprenticeship ........................................................................................................................... 7 Ten Ways to Grow Apprenticeships in Pennsylvania .................................................................................... 8 CHALLENGES TO EXPANDING APPRENTICESHIP IN PENNSYLVANIA........................ 13 The Invisibility of Apprenticeship ............................................................................................................... 13 Lack of Apprenticeship in Occupations Outside Construction ................................................................... 14 Lack of Diversity within Existing Apprenticeships....................................................................................... 14 Class Bias .................................................................................................................................................... 15 Management Culture & the Cast and Time to Start an Apprenticeship ..................................................... 16 Lack of State Capacity................................................................................................................................. 16 BENEFITS OF APPRENTICESHIP ............................................................................................. 18 For Employers ............................................................................................................................................. 18 For Job Seekers ........................................................................................................................................... 23 TEN WAYS FOR PENNSYLVANIA TO GROW APPRENTICESHIPS.................................. 24 1) Engage Employers & Provide Technical Assistance............................................................................ 24 2) Engage the Workforce System & Employer Hubs with Apprenticeships............................................ 27 3) Become a Resource Hub, Leveraging a Digital Approach................................................................... 27 4) Develop & Encourage the Group Apprenticeship Model Approach.................................................. 28 5) Build a Pipeline of Diverse Apprentices ............................................................................................. 29 6) Strengthen the Apprenticeship Community of Practice .................................................................... 32 7) Align Existing Funding and Provide New $ to Support Apprenticeships ............................................ 33 8) Lead by Example—Expand Pennsylvania Public Sector Apprenticeships........................................... 38 9) Integrate Apprenticeship with Secondary & Postsecondary Education ............................................. 38 10) Upgrade PA Apprenticeship Data and Develop a Dashboard to Track Expansion.............................. 44 Ten Ways to Make Apprenticeship Central to Learning and

FAQs

What is the purpose of the report for Pennsylvania’s Apprenticeship and Training Office?

The ATO commissioned the Keystone Research Center to research policies and initiatives Pennsylvania can pursue to expand registered apprenticeship. The report examines challenges, identifies assets and opportunities, and distills policy and program options for growth.

What challenges does the report identify for expanding apprenticeship in Pennsylvania?

The report highlights apprenticeship’s invisibility, limited apprenticeship beyond construction occupations, lack of diversity in existing apprenticeships, class bias, management culture and timing barriers to starting apprenticeships, and lack of state capacity.

What are some of the ten proposed ways to grow apprenticeships in Pennsylvania?

The proposals include engaging employers with technical assistance, connecting apprenticeships to the workforce system and employer hubs, creating a digital resource hub, encouraging group apprenticeship models, building diverse apprenticeship pipelines, and upgrading Pennsylvania apprenticeship data with a dashboard.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian