Registered apprenticeships are industry-driven programs that combine paid on-the-job learning with related technical instruction to meet business talent needs and provide a career pathway for workers. Apprenticeships are a flexible training strategy that employers and organizations can customize to meet their needs. As workers in this “earn-and-learn” model, apprentices are employed and earn wages from their first day on the job.

The US Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Office of Apprenticeship (OA) or a state apprenticeship agency (SAA) recognizes apprenticeships through a registration process. By registering a program, businesses and other organizations that sponsor apprenticeships gain access to federal resources, state tax credits where available, technical assistance, third-party validation, and a nationally recognized credential. Organizations submit a registration package containing occupational standards to either the OA or an SAA to register an apprenticeship program.