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Apprenticeship

What Is Apprenticeship?

What is the purpose of the apprenticeship program?

  • The purpose of the registered apprenticeship program is to enable employers to develop and apply industry standards to training programs for registered apprentices that can increase productivity and improve the quality of the workforce. Apprentices who complete registered apprenticeship programs are accepted by the industry as journeymen. By providing on-the-job training, related classroom instruction, and guaranteed wage structures, employers who sponsor apprentices provide incentives to attract and retain more highly qualified employees and improve productivity. Certifications earned through registered apprenticeship programs are recognized nationwide.

How does the apprenticeship program work?

  • A single employer or a group of employers may choose to sponsor an apprenticeship program. Although sponsors define specific program standards, all registered programs must be aligned with industry occupational standards to provide authenticity and consistency in certification. . Industry standards describe the skills to be mastered by workers to qualify for beginning-to-expert level occupations in various sectors of our nation’s economy. The more specific standards written by program sponsors also define the selection process, wages earned by apprentices as training progresses, length of time the employer will provide on-the-job training, and number of classroom instruction hours required.
  • Sponsors can elect to provide classroom instruction privately or enter into agreements with state-funded community colleges or school districts. Apprentices enrolled at public institutions are exempt from paying registration, matriculation, and lab fees. Unlike other workforce education programs offered at public institutions, sponsors select apprentices to participate in programs based on selection criteria that are defined in the program standards.
  • The length of an apprenticeship program varies from one to five years depending on occupation training requirements. In Florida, the majority of apprentices train in traditional construction programs such as electricity, plumbing, pipefitting, and heating and air conditioning installation and repair. These programs typically last three to four years. Less traditional apprenticeship programs such as child care specialist are also underway to provide training in high demand occupations. Federal guidelines for apprenticeship program standards in high growth industries, such as health care, information technology, metalworking, and geo-spatial technology, are in various stages of development.

Why would an employer choose to become an apprenticeship sponsor?

  • By sponsoring an apprenticeship program, employers can build employee loyalty, reduce the cost of training, attract more applicants, and improve productivity. Apprenticeship programs provide an opportunity for sponsors to share the costs of training through economy of scale and by using available federal and state resources to assist in developing and delivering training programs. Apprenticeship programs can attract more highly qualified applicants because they typically offer competitive entry-level wages for trainees and guarantee employment for a specific period of time. Employers have a direct influence on what apprentices learn through work processes and related classroom curriculum. Apprenticeship programs provide incentives that reduce absenteeism and turnover because apprentices are guaranteed increased wages as they progress through the program. The apprenticeship training program establishes a framework that can be utilized by employers for journeymen training regarding new applications and new materials in the industry.

How do employers become apprenticeship program sponsors?

  • Florida employers interested in sponsoring an apprenticeship program should contact the State Office of Apprenticeship. The office provides information about new and existing programs throughout the state. Employers can become a sponsor in an existing program or can work with apprenticeship training representatives to develop a new program. Sponsors of new programs define their own training standards with the assistance of experienced apprenticeship training representatives who monitor and coordinate the development and implementation of registered programs.

Do apprenticeship programs out perform similar certification programs?

  • A 2004 study by the Council for Education Policy Research and Improvement (CEPRI) found that post-completion earnings of registered apprentices exceeded those of similar vocational certification program completers, but the gap in earnings narrows over time. The gap in third quarter earnings of students who completed electrical programs in 2000 was more than $2,000, but narrowed to about $900 by 2003. Apprenticeship tends to provide a broad skills level of a given occupation rather than developing one particular skill within the occupation. This provides a solid base for journeymen-level employees to move on to be contractors and sub-contractors.

How does one become an apprentice?

  • Potential candidates must apply for registered apprentice positions. Admission requirements and eligibility vary by program because program sponsors define them according to their specific training needs. However, federal law defines minimum requirements and mandates that selection criteria be job related.
  • Persons wishing to participate in registered apprenticeship programs should ask their current employer about apprenticeship opportunities. They can also contact the Florida State Office of Apprenticeship, inquire at regional One Stop Centers, and investigate what is offered through local community colleges or technical centers. Apprenticeship programs are offered nationwide. To find programs outside Florida, they can contact the U.S. Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration.
  • Today in Florida, there are in excess of 320 registered programs and 10,400 apprentices participating in these programs.

Who oversees the approval of apprenticeship programs?

  • The Florida Department of Education, Office of Workforce Education, Office of Apprenticeship is authorized to implement and oversee apprenticeship programs for state and local purposes. Apprenticeship training representatives serve over 285 active programs located within eight service regions throughout the state. They assist sponsors with program service delivery statewide. Florida’s State Apprenticeship Council represents the apprenticeship community advising the Office of Workforce Education on matters relating to registered apprenticeship programs.

Who participates in the apprenticeship program?

  • In August of 2006 the apprenticeship program enrolled a total of 13,467 apprentices statewide. Currently the majority of apprenticeship programs provide training in the construction trades. For a statistical look at Florida's apprenticeship program, please refer to the Florida Department of Education’s apprenticeship annual summary website or contact Florida’s State Office of Apprenticeship for an annual comparison of key outcomes.

What are the major expenditures of the apprenticeship program?

  • Although some sponsors of registered apprenticeship programs provide their own classroom instruction, many program sponsors partner with local school districts and community colleges. In 2004-05 school districts reported expenditures of $16.0 million for apprenticeship programs and community colleges reported $24.5 million. The total reported expenditure for the program in 2004-05 was approximately $40.5 million.

How is the apprenticeship program funded?

  • Florida contributes funds to apprenticeship programs through a provision in the General Appropriations Act that allocates base and performance funding to workforce programs through aid to local governments (community colleges and school districts). See Workforce Education funding allocation, for a summary of funding levels for workforce programs.

Current issues

  • New Programs: Two new apprenticeship programs were established in 2006. The Information Technology (IT) Generalist program is a non-construction program which is sponsored by a non-union employer located in Jacksonville, FL. Having chosen not to partner with local education agencies, the sponsor will provide related classroom instruction. The program requires 220 hours of related classroom instruction and 2,880 hours of on-the-job training to complete. The Surveying Technician program is also a non-construction program that requires 4,000 hours of training and is sponsored by a group of non-union employers located in Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Dade counties. These sponsors have formed partnerships with local education agencies to provide related classroom instruction for this program.
  • Local Agreements: Often sponsors of registered apprenticeship programs negotiate agreements with the community colleges and school districts to provide all or part of their apprentices’ classroom training. The reported costs to the state of training apprentices at public institutions include expenditures for instructors, facilities, materials or any combination thereof. As a result the responsibilities, arrangements, and costs of apprenticeship programs vary throughout the state making it more complicated to negotiate new training partnerships.
  • Program Expansion: During the 2005-06 session, the legislature attempted to earmark $2.0 million of school district funds and $1.0 million of community college funds to expand existing apprenticeship opportunities and establish new programs. The appropriation was intended to address deficiencies in the supply of skilled construction workers. However, the language was stricken from the 2006 General Appropriations Act when the Governor vetoed the initiatives.
  • Program Tracking: The Florida Department of Education has taken the initiative to improve apprenticeship program tracking in several ways. First, apprenticeship service areas are now aligned with workforce regions which enable regional stakeholders to more easily share information. Second, registered apprenticeship programs that participate in training programs at public institutions are now assigned unique program identifiers to differentiate them from similar vocational programs offered at community colleges and school districts. Third, a separate database for all registered apprenticeship programs has been created to house apprenticeship data. The web-based application will be available to all program sponsors and field representatives to house program standards and apprentice and sponsor information. The database will provide program information by program, region, and state. Although scheduled to be completed in June 2006, the system is not yet fully operational.

Where can I get more information?

OPPAGA Reports
  • Workforce Estimating Conference Potential Not Realized; Barriers Can Be Addressed, Report No. 06-28, March 2006.
  • Students Benefit from Workforce Education Programs, But Performance Can Be Improved, Report No. 04-42, June 2004.
  • Workforce Development System Overview, Report No. 04-19, February 2004.
  • Apprenticeship Program Is Beneficial, But Its Ability to Meet State Demands Is Limited, Report No. 02-36, June 2002.
  • Workforce Development Education Program, Report No. 02-32, May 2002.
  • Copies of any OPPAGA report may be requested by telephone (850/488-0021 or 800/531-2477), or by FAX (850/487-3804) and are available on OPPAGA’s website.
Other Reports