Apprenticeship 2026: Steer Your Apprenticeship to Success with EDSI

Adina Tayar · Apr 30, 2026

What if the answer to your talent shortage has been hiding in plain sight – used successfully for centuries, proven by data, and more accessible than ever before?

Registered Apprenticeship is the U.S. Department of Labor’s gold standard ‘grow your own’ workforce program – and for organizations facing labor shortages, it may be exactly what’s been missing. Grounded for centuries mainly in the trades, where it still has a very strong foothold for both union and non-union organizations, the apprenticeship model has expanded into a wide range of industries to meet today’s workforce needs.

Why Apprenticeship? Why Now?

Programs have been growing in industries such as education, technology, agriculture, manufacturing, human resources, and hospitality – and for good reason. Statistics have tracked over recent years that not enough work-ready individuals are pursuing these fields on their own, leaving critical occupations unable to meet demand.

Registered Apprenticeship addresses this directly. It gives businesses a structured strategy to train and upskill employees to meet their specific needs – building in curriculum to obtain industry credentials, hands-on training plans overseen by dedicated mentors, and wage increases that reward skill gains. The result: dedicated employees who have mastered an organization’s integral skill set, culminating in a USDOL certification of completion that makes each apprentice a Journeyworker, ready to mentor the next generation.

More than 90% of registered apprentices stay employed after program completion, earning an average salary of $77,000.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Apprenticeship System Enhancements, Federal Register (January 17, 2024).

Is Apprenticeship Right for Your Organization?

When organizations first recognize they have a talent crisis, it can take time – sometimes year – to analyze the situation and work through options before landing on what the thousands of registered apprenticeship sponsors already know: apprenticeship models work.

Whether an organization is building a registered program or exploring an unregistered model, successful organizations are already using apprenticeship – and many could be doing it more and doing it better.

The first step is an honest assessment. Key factors include:

Leadership and departmental buy-in
Infrastructure to support on-the-job training and mentorship
A clear vision of future business goals and talent needs
Openness to sustained investment in employee development

At EDSI, we call this an organization’s ‘Apprenticeship Journey’ – and we’re here for the ride. We help businesses determine if apprenticeship is the right fit, guide through state registration, identify funding sources, develop curriculum and training plans, and consult on everything needed to make a program run smoothly.

Apprenticeship in Action: A Real-World Example

One of the most rewarding parts of this work is watching organizations build something entirely new – pathways that didn’t exist before, in fields that desperately needed them.

Recently, EDSI’s team supported the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (Bucks IU) in registering three first-of-their-kind apprenticeship programs in Pennsylvania – in Registered Behavior Technology and Pre-K–12 Special Education Teaching. Each one created a sustainable talent pipeline in a workforce area where traditional hiring had fallen short. And each one started exactly where most organizations start: with a talent shortage, a willingness to try something new, and the right partner at the table.

To Learn more about how EDSI collaborated with Bucks County Intermediate Unit to create three first-of-their kind apprenticeship and pre-apprentice programs, check out the Case Study below.

Learn More

Apprenticeship Outlook: 2026 and Beyond

The momentum behind registered apprenticeship is only growing. The USDOL and state agencies have been strengthening their focus and funding commitments each year. Some of the newest areas seeing significant growth include:

•    Shipbuilding and advanced manufacturing
•    Cybersecurity
•    Certified classroom teaching
•    Healthcare

The pattern is clear: if a profession is integral to our nation and talent can’t be found, government is answering that challenge with apprenticeship. Key initiatives on the horizon include Pay for Performance funding, increased efficiency in program registration, and expanded allowances for apprentice prior experience.

Apprenticeship is also the gold standard model for helping current and future employees ‘earn while they learn.’ At EDSI, we work with local program partners to educate students, young adults, career changers, and job seekers facing barriers about apprenticeship opportunities — and the fields where they are being widely used. Many of these partners develop pre-apprenticeship programs in their communities to build pipelines of work-ready individuals into the occupations organizations need filled most.

“Our experience connecting organizations to the right partners enhances program success in recruiting, management, and sustainability – which are key to any apprenticeship program built to last.”

Ready to Start Your Apprenticeship Journey?

There will always be ongoing changes to the ways federal and state agencies support, register, and fund apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. Navigating that landscape alone is challenging. Navigating it with an experienced partner makes all the difference.

EDSI has conversations every day with organizations either exploring apprenticeship for the first time or looking to strengthen an existing program. If you’re ready to explore what apprenticeship could look like for your organization – or simply want to understand your options – we’d welcome the conversation.

Fill out the form below and one of our team members will reach out asap!