Family-Sustaining Careers
In 2008, the average hourly wage for journeypersons who had completed apprenticeship was $23.94 — more than double the wage needed to lift a family of four out of poverty.
To close the gap between businesses’ need for qualified employees and the skills of unemployed job-seekers, substantial investments are needed in accessible, market-driven education and skills development programs. This brief outlines the need for employers, nonprofits and policy makers to align resources to create and strengthen programs — such as apprenticeships — to train low-skill adults for jobs that can help their families achieve financial stability.
At a time when businesses are struggling to find skilled workers, and when displaced workers are struggling to find good-paying jobs that can sustain their families, expanding apprenticeship opportunities can provide a path toward providing the training needed for these higher wage careers. The costs of developing and supporting apprenticeship have typically fallen to employers; in order to build a more robust and sustainable apprenticeship system; however, the public and private sectors each have an important role to play.