For Employers - Registered Apprenticeships — Good For Business

America’s workforce is aging. As the baby boomers begin to retire, they will take with them a lifetime of skills and expertise, leaving potential gaps in the labor force and a demand for younger, skilled workers. Meanwhile, to compete in a global economy, employers need employees with increasingly specialized skills, and these employees are hard to find and keep.

A growing shortage of skilled workers, coupled with increased demand, means that industry and the trades will need to work hard to attract and retain qualified candidates. Registered apprenticeships, where employees train under the direction of seasoned journeyworkers, are one good way that businesses can prepare for the shifting demographics of the workforce.

In contrast to previous generations, today’s workers are accustomed to holding many jobs with many companies, and are comfortable jumping from one employer to the next in search of higher wages, better benefits and more opportunities. Apprenticeships foster loyalty, provide a pathway to family wage jobs and provide employers with a significant return on investment.

Benefits of Using Apprentices and the Apprenticeship Program

Companies that offer apprenticeship programs know that these programs make good financial sense. Here’s why:

Apprenticeship programs give a sound return on your investment.
A recent study showed that the financial benefits of apprenticeship training programs exceed the cost for 15 different trades. On average, for each dollar invested, employers receive a benefit of $1.38—a net return of $0.38. (“Return on Apprenticeship Training Investment.” Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. June 2006)

Cost-benefit analysis of apprenticeships (15 KB PDF) in 15 different trades from the “Return on Apprenticeship Training Investment” Canadian Apprenticeship Forum report (June 2006).

Apprenticeships put a skilled and trained workforce at your fingertips.
Apprenticeship programs ensure that you have skilled workers who are familiar with your standards. You determine exactly what skills you need, and design a training and educational program to foster those skills.

“Homegrown” employees are more productive.
A journeyperson who trained as an apprentice within your organization will naturally be more productive, since he or she is already familiar with company standards and procedures. That means your employees will spend their time contributing to your bottom line, not getting up to speed.

Apprenticeships foster loyalty.
There’s something intangible about the loyalty workers feel to a company that values them enough to invest time and money to help them reach their career goals. Training apprentices in your business creates skilled and experienced employees, many of whom will stay with you for the long term.

Apprenticeship Utilization Requirements (AURs)
AURs require a certain percentage of labor hours for a given construction project be performed by Washington State registered and/or approved apprentices. This information is intended to address the most frequently asked questions and provide regional resources for those in need of further assistance. While the Department does not play a direct role with regard to Apprenticeship Utilization Requirement (AUR) implementation, we are the registration agency for program sponsors and apprentices in the State.
Apprenticeship Utilization Requirements Fact Sheet (94 KB PDF)

See Publication:
Registered Apprenticeship Employer Fact Sheet (146 KB PDF)

Apprenticeship is Your Business (173 KB PDF)

 Get Help Downloading Files (files open in a new window).

Getting Started

Apprenticeship consultants make it easy

Our apprenticeship consultants are located all across the state. They will help you identify which type of apprenticeship model best suits your company and then provide intensive, one-on-one consulting and on-site assistance to get your program up and running.

What to expect from your consultant

Consider your consultant your full-service guide. Your consultant will help you:

• Identify your business and training needs, and determine how an apprenticeship program could meet those needs.
• Connect you with an appropriate program or identify existing programs that can serve as a guide for your own.
• Draft required documents.
• Set up your program administration.
• Troubleshoot problems.

Find an existing state-approved program

Join as an Approved Training Agent for an appreticeship program.

1. Best Method: Contact a Local L&I Apprenticeship Consultant and they will help you find a Registered program for your occupation.
2. Use our online Apprentice Registration and Tracking System (ARTS) and run a "Report of Programs by County."
   • This report will show you all the programs that cover the specified county sorted by occupation with the name of the program next to it.
   • Go through the list and select the appropriate program which will give you the contact information for that program.
   • Contact the program to inquire about becoming a Authorized Training Agent for the specific occupation.
   • If an agreement is reached between you and the sponsor, your employees can then be registered into the program.
   • The program will then register them with L&I.
3. See the Acrobat (PDF) files of “Programs by County” reports.
   • Each county lists all programs by occupation and includes appropriate contact information.
   • Go through the list and select the appropriate program and contact the program to inquire about becoming an Authorized Training Agent for the specific occupation.
   • If an agreement is reached between you and the sponsor, your employees can then be registered into the program.
   • The program will then register them with L&I.

Apprenticeship Primer

How apprenticeships work
Registered apprenticeship programs start with the formation of an apprenticeship committee made up of industry members—both business owners and workers. Committees develop program guidelines that include:

• Criteria for becoming an apprentice.
• Skill and proficiency requirements to reach journeyworker level.
• Number of apprenticeship openings.
• Wage rates and progressions based upon demonstrated competencies.
• Required course curriculum to complement on-the-job training.
• Supervision methods.
• Equal opportunity procedures.

Apprenticeship models
Companies can offer registered apprenticeships either as a training agent or as a sponsor.

Training Agent—As a training agent, you partner with an existing registered apprenticeship program that is already training apprentices for your trade or occupation. The apprentice will work for you, but the training will be provided by the existing apprenticeship program. This saves you the time and expense of creating a program to train your own apprentices, and provides you the flexibility of getting started almost immediately.

Sponsor—You create an apprenticeship program that is registered with and approved by the state.

Apprenticeship basics
Registered apprenticeships are made up of the following components:

Structured and supervised training

• Apprenticeships provide on-the-job training under the direction of experienced journeyworkers.
• Related instruction (minimum of 144 hours each year) is provided by Washington community and technical colleges.
• Apprenticeships last from one to six years.

Laws and regulations

• Registered apprenticeships are governed by federal and state laws.
• Parties enter into a written agreement called an apprenticeship registration that specifies length of training, related school requirements, an outline of the skills of the trade to be learned and wages the apprentice will receive.
• Apprentices earn wages during the term of their apprenticeship.
• Wages are a portion of the skilled wage rate and increase throughout the training program in accordance with a predetermined wage scale.

Credentials

• Successful completion of a registered apprenticeship program leads to a nationally recognized certificate of completion and official journeyworker status.

Responsibilities

• Apprentices manage their time, keep work records, attend classes and progress in their apprenticeship program. Apprentices may also be required to pay for tuition or books.
• Employers pay wages, oversee on-the-job training, monitor attendance at training classes and evaluate progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get started?
The best way to get started is to call or e-mail a Labor & Industries apprenticeship consultant in your area. He or she can provide you with all the necessary information and resources to start a registered apprenticeship program.

What will L&I do for me?
L&I has consultants who will walk you through the entire process and help you get started. Once you have an apprenticeship program, they will be in contact with you regularly to help you manage your program.

How much will it cost to start an apprenticeship program?
The primary cost to starting an apprenticeship program is time and effort. You pay no fees to Labor & Industries to register a program. If you decide to participate as a training agent partnering with an existing apprenticeship, you may be required to pay a small fee to the apprenticeship program to help cover the costs of training. This fee varies by program.

Are there any financial benefits?
Yes. The financial benefits are both short term and long term. First, you save on payroll costs because you pay your apprentice lower wages than you would pay a journeylevel worker. As time passes and apprentices progress in their training, they earn increasingly higher wage amounts. Additionally, as a Washington state registered apprentice, your apprentice will receive a 50% tuition waiver at a Washington state community or technical college.

One Washington city created an apprenticeship program to train an administrative assistant. The city saved $14,000 in payroll costs and $840 in tuition costs, and the apprentice got a jump start on her career, and a nationally recognized credential that she can put on her resume.

In the long run, you will benefit financially by having a better trained and more productive workforce. A recent study showed that the financial benefits of apprenticeship training programs exceed the cost for 15 different trades. On average, for each dollar invested, employers receive a benefit of $1.38—a net return of $0.38. (“Return on Apprenticeship Training Investment.” Canadian Apprenticeship Forum. June 2006).

How long will it take to set up a program?
Creating an apprenticeship program that is registered with and approved by the state normally takes a minimum of six months, although "PLANT" programs can be registered sooner. Construction employers are encouraged to look into the many quality programs already in existence in the construction trades.

What is my role as an employer?
For trades that have an established apprenticeship program, an employer is responsible for:

• Overseeing on-the-job training and monitoring attendance at related training classes.
• Evaluating progress before recommending advancement to the next pay level.
• Recommending award of the certificate of completion when an apprentice has satisfactorily completed the required course work and on-the-job training.