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  • 2017
  • Report

Room to Grow: Identifying New Frontiers for Apprenticeships

By: Joseph B. Fuller and Matthew Sigelman
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
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Abstract

In the United States, apprentices are employed in just 27 occupations, mostly in skilled, physical trades. An analysis of job postings data shows that extending apprenticeships to more occupations provides an opportunity to expand employment and close the middle skills gap in America. Employers can expand apprenticeships as pathways to at least 21 other occupations that don’t require a bachelor’s degree, such as shipping clerks and tax preparers, as well as another 26 occupations that commonly require a costly four-year degree but have requisite skills that can be attained without one, including claims adjusters and computer user support specialists. With these changes, the number of Americans that could be employed through work-based apprentice training could be increased from 410,000 to 3.3 million, boosting employer production and reducing costs to young Americans entering the workforce.

Keywords

Employment; Training; Competency and Skills; Personal Development and Career; United States

Citation

Fuller, Joseph B., and Matthew Sigelman. "Room to Grow: Identifying New Frontiers for Apprenticeships." Report, November 2017. (Published by Burning Glass Technologies and Harvard Business School, Managing the Future of Work.)
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About The Author

Joseph B. Fuller

Entrepreneurial Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • October 3, 2023
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    The Employer-Educator Partnership That Can Fill U.S. Jobs

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    • May–June 2023
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    The High Cost of Neglecting Low-Wage Workers: Six Mistakes That Companies Make—and How They Can Do Better

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    • May 22, 2023
    • Wall Street Journal (online)

    How to Manage Workforce Risk Amid Old Challenges, New Disruptions

    By: Joseph B. Fuller, Michael Griffiths, Reem Janho, Michael Stephan, Carey Oven and Keri Calagna
More from the Authors
  • The Employer-Educator Partnership That Can Fill U.S. Jobs By: Joseph Fuller and Manjari Raman
  • The High Cost of Neglecting Low-Wage Workers: Six Mistakes That Companies Make—and How They Can Do Better By: Joseph Fuller and Manjari Raman
  • How to Manage Workforce Risk Amid Old Challenges, New Disruptions By: Joseph B. Fuller, Michael Griffiths, Reem Janho, Michael Stephan, Carey Oven and Keri Calagna
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