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Apprenticeships and Community Colleges in the United States: Overview and Collaboration Analysis

Explore the landscape of apprenticeships and community colleges in the U.S., analyzing their role in workforce development, enrollment trends, major fields of study, and existing collaborations. Understand the dynamics between education and hands-on training for skill acquisition.

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Apprenticeships and Community Colleges in the United States: Overview and Collaboration Analysis

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  1. Robert I. Lerman American University and Urban Institute Apprenticeships and Community Colleges in the United States: Complements or Substitutes?International Network on Innovative ApprenticeshipAssuring the Acquisition of Expertise:Apprenticeship in the Modern EconomyBeijing, China, May 26 – 27, 2011

  2. Overview of U.S. Postsecondary Institutions for the Workforce • Apprenticeship plays a modest role • Only about 3-4% of inflow of workers • Colleges dominate post-secondary education • Many types of colleges, but three main groups • 4 year colleges offering BA degrees and above • 2 year community colleges, publicly financed, with Associates (AA) degrees—academic & occupation tracks • Private for-profit trade schools, 2 years but often less; schools range from large, national to small, local ones

  3. Scale of Programs • Enrollment as of Fall 2009 was • 12.9 million students in four-year colleges • 7.1 million in community colleges • 0.4 in private two-year colleges • substantial numbers in private colleges not reporting and with short programs • Less than .5 million apprentices

  4. Rising Share of Career Colleges • National Center for Education Statistics reports that 3,833 colleges of less than four years awarded 981,000career and technical credentials. For-prof!t schools accounted for at least 36 percent of these credentials • Actual figure is higher but data tracks only certain types of career colleges.

  5. Community College Tracks • An occupational certification through: 1) an associate’s degreein a specific field; 2) an academic certification, generally an associate of arts or associate of science degree, largely aimed at students will transfer to a four-year college; or 3) a certification based on a limited number of courses.

  6. The Community College Boom • Community colleges have an important place in expanding skills—evidence shows positive returns, to years and degrees, but size varies • But CC education is uneven and often falls short, partly because of weak links with employers, poor qualifications of entrants, minimal guidance, high costs, and now capacity constraints, crowded classrooms • Not comfortable for people who learn best by doing, in the workplace

  7. Majors in community college • Liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities (250,000), health professions 145,000 including 67,000 in registered nursing), business management, & marketing(100,000). • Placing health and business majors in the career clusters and categorizing the other majors, we find about half the degrees are in career-oriented areas

  8. Apprenticeships In the US • Skill preparation, but not mainly for youth • Registered apprenticeships were were about 27,000 registered apprenticeship sponsors training about 480,000 apprentices as of 2008, implying an average of about 18 apprentices per sponsor • They are highly concentrated in construction, energy, manufacturing, transportation and communication, and public administration occupations jumped between 2003 and 2007; significant share in the military • Many, unknown number in other apprenticeships

  9. Existing State of Collaboration • Community colleges well positioned to provide academic training but usually not the workplace training central to expertise • Many apprenticeship programs use community colleges for the classroom component • Certification is a key value for workers, firms • Both community colleges and apprentice programs offer occupational certification

  10. Complements / Substitutes • The patterns vary widely; some apprenticeship programs see no added value in an associates degree; others encourage workers to obtain degrees • Some community college officials show little appreciation for an apprenticeship certificate • Still, the prospects for additional collaboration are promising; federal grants are encouraging the two institutions to work together

  11. Apprenticeship Use of Community Colleges Varies by Occupations • Divide by construction—other occupations • 24 percent of apprentices in construction obtain instruction through community/technical colleges • 42 percent of other apprentices do so • Nearly all sponsors of automotive manufacturing and hospitality apprenticeships report using community or technical colleges, as do 61 percent of apprenticeships in the health care area • About half of sponsors provide their own instruction

  12. Other Collaboration By State • About 10% of apprentices report having an A.A. degree; another 15 percent report at least a B.A. • Washington State has above average apprentice program, subsidizes tuition at community colleges • Most sponsors use community colleges • In Florida, which provides some community college subsidies, only 20% of sponsors use these colleges

  13. Virginia Pattern is Typical • In Virginia, 12 of the 23 community colleges provide related instruction to apprentices. • Occupations covered include several construction trades, as well as computer technology, welding, and machinist, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning of HVAC trades. • In most of the programs, the courses do count toward an associate’s degree or certificate • Tuition for apprentices is the standard rate for all students, usually paid paid by the employer.

  14. Barriers to Collaboration • An Arkansas program doesn’t use community college instructors because state law requires instructors to have different qualifications as master practitioners than most professors have • Apprentices in many programs see no need for the additional certification from community colleges • Many programs have full schools especially geared toward state licensing requirements—they see no need for an associates degree

  15. Many Programs Do Collaborate • Lineworkers in Michigan require workers to obtain associates degree along with apprentice credential • One reason is the program is not registered and thus is not certified with the U.S. Labor Department • Several community colleges provide college credit for skills developed at apprenticeships • Major auto companies have worked with community colleges to develop courses for auto repair technicians and apprenticeship training

  16. Case of Long-term Care Workers • Recently looked at the feasibility for estimating impacts of apprenticeship on long-term care workforce (nurses’ aides, etc.) • Effort to force community college component but it was considered too costly in light of the limited wage potential in this field • May see future partnerships even here

  17. Occupational Overlaps • Some but not a large overlap between apprenticeable fields and majors in community colleges • Job openings in occupations that are currently apprenticeable are large in fields where community college have few majors: • Construction (1.2 million) • Truck Drivers (0.7 million) • Auto Repair (0.5 million) • Welders, Repair, Machinists (0.4 million) • Corrections, Police, Fire (0.3 million)

  18. Current and Future Overlaps • Health professions, especially nursing, are key fields where occupational expertise is gained both through community college and apprenticeship programs • Computer and various business fields are now rarely taught through apprenticeships but could be in the future

  19. Comparative Effectiveness of Apprenticeship, Community College • No direct comparisons for the same occupations • Non-experimental evidence from Washington State based on method that matches workers on earnings before they enter one or another type of training • Includes workers who enter public job centers • The study tracked their earnings after training using administrative records drawn from the unemployment insurance system

  20. States, WIA Can Lead the Way • Bring together community colleges, firms, and workers as part of broad effort-use new CC grants • Meets various criteria—jointly designed with firms, basic skills with occupational training, transparent career pathways • Provide allocation to employers for education costs of program—perhaps fund 1 of each 4 apprentices if recruitment is at One-Stop • Insure employers can access occupation skill profiles

  21. South Carolina’s Story • Stimulated by the state chamber, the state began providing $1 million per year to expand apprenticeship—base is a technical college • Also, a $1,000 tax credit per apprentice per year • Effort so far has led to one new program per week, 50% increase in apprentices • Shows what can be done with close marketing • Cost per added apprentice is $3,600; present value of earnings gains at least $100,000 • Maryland starting new initiative

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