The Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship reported in January 2026 that registered construction apprenticeship programs grew by 28% over the past two years, from 16,800 active programs in fiscal year 2023 to 21,500 in fiscal year 2025. That is the fastest expansion of construction apprenticeships since the DOL began tracking program registrations in the current format.
I have been saying for years that the pipeline problem in construction starts at the training stage. We cannot fill 501,000 open positions with workers who do not exist. Apprenticeships are the single most proven method for building a skilled construction workforce, and the data is clear — the industry is finally investing in them at scale.
The State of Apprenticeships in 2026
DOL data shows that 642,000 active apprentices are currently enrolled in construction-related programs across the United States. That number was 501,000 in 2023. The 28% growth represents an addition of roughly 141,000 apprentice slots — a meaningful dent in the workforce shortage, though not nearly enough to close the gap entirely.
The breakdown by program type tells an important story:
- Joint labor-management (union) programs: 312,000 apprentices (48.6% of total)
- Employer-sponsored (non-union) programs: 218,000 apprentices (34.0%)
- Group non-joint programs (trade associations, community colleges): 112,000 apprentices (17.4%)
Union apprenticeship programs remain the largest single pipeline, but non-union programs are growing faster — 34% growth over two years compared to 21% for union programs. ABC's apprenticeship training network alone added 47,000 new apprentices in 2025, making it the largest construction training provider outside the building trades unions.
Safety note: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2) requires that employers instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions applicable to their work environment. Apprenticeship programs that embed safety training throughout the curriculum — not just in a standalone module — produce workers with significantly lower first-year injury rates. DOL data shows that graduates of registered apprenticeship programs have a first-year recordable incident rate of 2.8 per 100 workers, compared to 4.4 for workers trained through informal on-the-job methods.
Completion Rates: The Dropout Problem
Here is where the optimism dims. The national completion rate for construction apprenticeships stands at 55%, according to DOL's Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System (RAPIDS). That means 45% of apprentices who start a program do not finish it.
The average construction apprenticeship runs four years and requires between 6,000 and 10,000 hours of on-the-job training plus 144 to 216 hours of related technical instruction per year. That is a significant commitment, and many apprentices leave before completing it.
DOL data breaks completion rates by trade:
- Electricians (IBEW/IEC programs): 62% completion — the highest among major trades
- Plumbers and pipefitters: 59% completion
- Ironworkers: 57% completion
- Carpenters: 53% completion
- Sheet metal workers: 52% completion
- Laborers: 48% completion — the lowest, partly because laborer apprenticeships often serve as entry points, and workers transfer to other trades
The top three reasons apprentices cite for not completing programs, according to a 2025 DOL survey of 4,200 former apprentices:
- Found higher-paying work outside construction (31%) — this is the wage competition problem
- Financial hardship during training (27%) — first-year apprentice wages, while improving, still lag behind what workers can earn in warehousing, delivery, or manufacturing
- Personal or family reasons (22%) — including relocation, childcare conflicts, and health issues
The remaining 20% cited program quality, workplace conflicts, or academic difficulty with the related instruction component.
Earning While Learning: The Wage Structure
One of apprenticeship's strongest selling points is the earn-while-you-learn model. First-year construction apprentices earn between $18 and $24 per hour depending on trade, region, and whether the program is union or non-union.
BLS data shows the following average starting wages for first-year apprentices in major trades:
- Electrical apprentices: $22.40/hr (first year), scaling to $38.60/hr (fourth year)
- Plumbing apprentices: $21.20/hr, scaling to $36.80/hr
- Carpentry apprentices: $19.80/hr, scaling to $32.40/hr
- HVAC apprentices: $20.60/hr, scaling to $34.20/hr
- Ironworker apprentices: $23.10/hr, scaling to $40.20/hr
- Laborer apprentices: $18.40/hr, scaling to $28.60/hr
Union programs generally pay $2-4/hr more at each step than non-union equivalents, but non-union programs often have shorter durations (three years vs. four or five) and more flexible scheduling.
The total value of a completed apprenticeship is substantial. DOL calculates that the average construction apprenticeship graduate earns $80,000 per year within five years of completion, including overtime, and accumulates zero student debt in the process. Compare that to a four-year college graduate who earns a median of $62,000 and carries an average of $32,700 in student loan debt, according to Federal Reserve data.
Safety note: Apprentices are particularly vulnerable in their first year on site. BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses data shows that workers with less than one year of experience account for 33% of construction injuries despite representing only 18% of the workforce. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2) mandates that frequent and regular inspections be made by competent persons. On crews that include apprentices, that competent person needs to be actively supervising, not just nominally present.
Union vs. Non-Union: Two Paths, One Goal
The union-versus-non-union apprenticeship debate generates more heat than light. The data shows genuine strengths on both sides.
Union apprenticeship advantages:
- Higher completion rates: 64% vs. 49% for non-union programs (DOL RAPIDS data)
- Higher starting wages: average $2.80/hr more in the first year
- Stronger safety training integration: union programs average 216 hours of safety-related instruction over four years vs. 148 hours for non-union
- Better health and retirement benefits during training
- Broader portability — journeyman cards are recognized across jurisdictions
Non-union apprenticeship advantages:
- Faster growth: 34% increase in new registrations vs. 21% for union programs
- More flexible scheduling: 68% of non-union programs offer evening or weekend class options
- Shorter average duration: 3.2 years vs. 4.1 years for union programs
- Broader geographic availability, particularly in right-to-work states
- Lower barriers to entry — fewer prerequisite requirements
The IIJA's workforce requirements are pushing both models to expand. The law requires that federally funded projects above $35 million use registered apprentices for at least 15% of labor hours in applicable trades. This single provision has driven more apprenticeship program registrations than any other policy lever in the past decade.
IIJA Workforce Requirements: The Policy Catalyst
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $1.2 trillion for infrastructure over five years. What receives less attention is the law's workforce provisions, which are reshaping how construction training works.
Key IIJA workforce requirements include:
- Registered apprenticeship utilization: 15% of labor hours on applicable projects must be performed by registered apprentices — this has driven demand for apprenticeship slots in IIJA-funded projects
- Local hire provisions: Good-faith efforts to hire from the community where work is performed
- Pre-apprenticeship investments: $100 million specifically allocated to pre-apprenticeship programs through DOL
- Justice40 goals: 40% of workforce training investments must benefit disadvantaged communities
DOL reports that IIJA workforce spending has funded 312 new pre-apprenticeship programs and expanded capacity at 840 existing registered apprenticeship programs since 2022. The direct federal investment in construction workforce training exceeded $380 million in fiscal year 2025 alone.
Top State Programs
Several states are running apprenticeship programs that outperform national averages, and their models offer lessons for the rest of the industry.
Washington State operates through the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council. The state's construction apprenticeship completion rate is 68% — 13 points above the national average. The state subsidizes related instruction costs and provides a $4,000 per-apprentice tax credit to participating employers. Washington currently has 31,200 active construction apprentices, the fourth-highest total nationally.
South Carolina launched its Apprenticeship Carolina program in 2007. Since then, the state's registered apprenticeship programs have grown from 90 to 1,840 across all industries, with construction accounting for 38% of all registrations. The program offers a $1,000 annual tax credit per apprentice and provides free consulting to employers setting up new programs.
California has the largest absolute number of construction apprentices at 84,000, but its completion rate of 51% lags the national average. The state's Division of Apprenticeship Standards is investing in support services — tutoring, childcare assistance, and transportation subsidies — to improve retention.
Ohio invested $87 million in workforce training through its TechCred and Individual Microcredential Assistance Programs, with construction credentials representing 28% of all awards. The state's apprenticeship completion rate reached 61% in 2025.
Texas presents an interesting case study. The state has 52,000 active construction apprentices but no state apprenticeship agency — all registration goes through DOL's federal office. Despite this, Texas's construction apprenticeship enrollment grew 41% in two years, driven entirely by private-sector demand and ABC chapter investment.
The Community College Connection
Community colleges are becoming critical partners in the apprenticeship ecosystem. The American Association of Community Colleges reports that 426 community colleges now offer construction-related apprenticeship programs or pre-apprenticeship pathways, up from 310 in 2022.
These programs serve as feeders for both union and non-union apprenticeships. They provide the related technical instruction component that apprenticeships require, often at lower cost than proprietary training centers. The average cost of related instruction at a community college is $3,200 per year per apprentice, and Pell Grant funding covers most or all of that for eligible students.
Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana offers a model worth studying. Their construction apprenticeship pathway enrolls 2,800 students annually across 19 campuses. Graduates enter registered apprenticeships with the first year of related instruction already completed, effectively reducing the time to journeyman status by 12 months. The program's placement rate into registered apprenticeships is 89%.
Safety note: Every apprentice who enters a jobsite without completing OSHA 10-hour construction training is a liability waiting to materialize. While OSHA 10 is not federally mandated for all construction workers, it should be. States like New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Nevada require it. If your state does not, require it anyway. The cost is roughly $25-75 per worker. The cost of a serious injury is incalculable.
What Employers Need to Do
The data is clear — apprenticeship works. Graduates earn more, get injured less, and stay in the industry longer than workers trained through informal methods. But the system cannot scale without employer participation.
DOL estimates that it costs an employer roughly $47,000 per year to sponsor an apprentice when accounting for wages, benefits, supervision time, and related instruction. By the third year of a four-year program, most apprentices are net-positive contributors — their productive output exceeds their total compensation and training costs.
The return on investment for a completed apprenticeship is estimated at $1.47 per dollar invested over the apprentice's first five years as a journeyman, according to DOL's 2025 ROI study. That is a better return than most capital equipment purchases.
As construction wages continue to rise, employers who invest in training their own workforce will be better positioned than those competing for an ever-shrinking pool of experienced journeymen on the open market.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do construction apprentices earn per hour?
First-year construction apprentices earn between $18 and $24 per hour depending on trade, region, and program type. BLS data shows electrical apprentices starting at $22.40/hr, plumbing at $21.20/hr, and laborer apprenticeships at $18.40/hr. Wages increase annually, with most programs reaching journeyman scale (60-90% of the starting wage increase) by year three or four.
What is the completion rate for construction apprenticeships?
The national completion rate for construction apprenticeships is 55%, according to DOL RAPIDS data. Rates vary by trade — electricians complete at 62%, while laborer apprenticeships complete at 48%. Union programs have higher completion rates (64%) than non-union programs (49%). Financial hardship during training and competition from higher-paying non-construction jobs are the primary reasons for non-completion.
How long does a construction apprenticeship take?
Most construction apprenticeships run three to five years, depending on trade and program type. The national average is 3.8 years. Programs require 6,000-10,000 hours of on-the-job training plus 144-216 hours of classroom instruction per year. Non-union programs average 3.2 years, while union programs average 4.1 years. Some accelerated programs allow credit for prior experience, reducing the duration.
Take Action Now
If you are an employer who has never sponsored an apprentice, contact your state apprenticeship agency or the nearest DOL Office of Apprenticeship this week. Ask for the employer registration packet. The process takes 60-90 days, and the DOL provides free technical assistance to set up your program. Every journeyman on your payroll started somewhere — make sure the next generation starts with you.
