Apprenticeships combine paid, on-the-job training with classroom instruction to help individuals gain experience in a trade or profession. Apprenticeship programs can help employers develop and prepare their future workforce.

Apprenticeships are structured, earn-and-learn programs where workers are paid to gain hands-on experience and complete related training, typically over at least a year, to become skilled professionals in an occupation.

In contrast, internships are usually short-term, often unpaid opportunities for students to explore career options, gain skills, and build their professional network.

A Registered Apprenticeship Program is a structured, earn-and-learn training model approved by the Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency that combines paid work experience with classroom instruction to develop skilled professionals in a specific occupation. Registered Apprenticeship Programs offer career pathways where individuals gain paid work experience, mentorship, wage increases, classroom instruction, and a nationally recognized and transferable credential while employers develop their future workforce.

About seven out of eight sponsors with registered apprenticeships strongly recommend the program. These employers report a healthy return on investment and increased employee retention rates. Research shows that apprentices have higher earnings growth than their peers.

By registering a program, employers and organizations that sponsor apprenticeships can gain access to federal support and funding, quality training standards, third-party validation, a nationally recognized credential, and, in some states, tax credits—all while helping to attract and retain skilled workers.

Creating an apprenticeship program involves several steps. To register an apprenticeship program, employers or sponsors must submit a structured training plan that meets industry skills, wages, and instruction standards. It is usually developed with guidance from the US Department of Labor, a state apprenticeship agency, or an apprenticeship intermediary. The process may vary depending on the state and occupation.

For an overview of the process, explore our roadmap for sponsors.

When you’re ready to start designing your program, explore our collection of National Occupational Frameworks.

National Occupational Frameworks assist sponsors and employers in developing or refining (PDF) apprenticeship programs by outlining essential tasks and objectives apprentices should master. These industry-vetted, consensus-based frameworks are pre-approved by the US Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship and meet the core training requirements for program registration in specific occupations.

Each framework includes:

1. The occupational overview: A brief introduction to the occupation, including alternative job titles and any apprenticeship prerequisites.

2. The work process schedule: An outline of the major job functions, competencies, and hours an apprentice completes in a Registered Apprenticeship Program.

3. The related instruction outline: Considerations for the coursework apprentices will undertake to supplement their on-the-job learning.

Learn how employers, sponsors, and state agencies are using National Occupational Frameworks to advance their apprenticeship efforts (PDF).

Most registered apprenticeship programs range from one year to four years. The length of a program will vary depending on the occupation, type of apprenticeship program, previous experience of the apprentice, and the organization sponsoring the apprenticeship.

Today, a wide range of industries, such as the health care, technology, transportation, energy, and finance industries, use apprenticeships to meet their workforce needs. To learn more, explore our collection of industries using Registered Apprenticeship Programs and available National Occupational Frameworks.

An apprenticeship sponsor is an organization responsible for managing and overseeing an apprenticeship program, including its design, implementation, and compliance with regulatory standards.

A wide variety of organizations can be apprenticeship sponsors. They are typically employers, industry associations, labor unions, joint-labor management organizations, workforce development boards, community colleges, high schools, community-based organizations, and other educational institutions or intermediaries that administer and manage apprenticeship programs.

The Registered Apprenticeship Standards Library is a collection of thousands of apprenticeship programs registered at the national and state levels. The standards can provide options and ideas for your own apprenticeship.