Success Stories

Registered Apprenticeship is a national system that offers on-the-job training in many of today's sought-after careers through partnerships with businesses like yours.

Our nationwide network includes approximately 250,000 employers in 1,000 careers. Over the past 70 years, Registered Apprenticeship has developed millions of apprentices and strengthened America's workforce - one program at a time.

On Saturday, December 10, 2011, St. Louis YouthBuild, sponsored by the Carpenters Joint Apprentice Program (CJAP) and affiliated with YouthBuild USA, held a graduation for 45 students. During these tough economic times, these grads are finding jobs and/or earning college scholarships to be used to further their education. This was YouthBuild's 15th group of students to graduate in its program history.

St. Louis YouthBuild is one of many Pre-Apprenticeship Programs in the St. Louis area. They provide a gateway for non-traditional students aged 18 to 24 years old to enter the Construction Trades. Due to the quality of instruction and support services, YouthBuild is one of a few local pre-apprenticeship programs that has actually graduated its students from the Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Program.

The 2011 class has an aggregate of $82,103 in scholarship awards–28 of the 45 students earned scholarships ranging from $2,380 to $5,350 each. Thirty-four students have earned GEDs, an 83% success rate. There were four high school graduates in our program. Forty-two of 45 students were placed in employment or higher education, a 93.33% placement rate for graduates. Twenty-one of 45 graduates have been accepted by institutions of higher education; and 21 students have found employment. One student has already been hired by Waterhout Construction Company.

President Obama is placing a renewed emphasis on job training programs and encouraging community college students to earn industry-recognized credentials; effective ways to develop a skilled workforce that also leads to good-paying jobs. Success can be measured in many ways, but the President is emphasizing industry credentials and jobs.

The Chef Apprenticeship Associate Degree Program at Bucks County Community College delivers on the President's challenge. Program requirements include 6,000 hours of supervised on the job training and 24 college credits that are aligned with on the job learning and work experience. Apprentices are employed and paid for on the job training hours. This "earn while you learn" program can be completed in three years, working full time and attending classes part time at the community college. Successful completion of the program leads to an Associate of Arts Degree from Bucks County Community College, a Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship from the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship & Training Council, and Medals from the Culinary Industry that recognize industry achievement. Graduates are employed in positions such as chef, sous chef, pastry chef, baker, foodservice production supervisor, kitchen manager, garde manager chef, and lead cook.

At a time when the cost of college is increasing and a growing number of Americans are transitioning from unemployment to community college programs in the hope of finding a good paying job, the Chef Apprenticeship Associate Degree Program provides an answer to the President's challenge. On May 17, 2011, seven graduates completed the program and one received a special award from the President of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Culinary Federation. All of these graduates are enjoying full time employment as Chefs.

Green Careers for Coloradans (GCC), a two-year, federal stimulus fund, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Energy Training Partnership $3.6 million grant awarded to Labor's Community Agency, Inc., in January 2010 by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, has been very successful in providing green energy training opportunities to Colorado construction workers.

Over 2,300 incumbent, underemployed or unemployed Colorado construction workers have enhanced their marketability by successfully completing green skills training and industry-endorsed green certifications as a result of opportunities provided by the GCC grant. Included in that motivated group are more than 450 Colorado Building and Construction Trades registered apprentices.

Over 40 strong, diverse entities representing Colorado's educational and training communities, community based organizations, industry, labor, the Colorado workforce system, and the U.S. Department of Labor participate in the GCC grant as vital, active partners.

The GCC grant has had an on-going, beneficial, collaboration with the other ARRA green job training grants awarded to Colorado, the State Energy Sector Partnership grant and the Denver Green Jobs Initiative grant. The collaborative efforts have resulted in a more efficient use of resources, information, and an increased level of service to Colorado's residents.

In April of 2006 one could not have predicted what a difference United States Department of Labor Apprenticeship would produce inside the Indiana Department of Correction. The Apprenticeship Program, which initiated in PEN (Prison Enterprise Network) Products in April of 2006, was quickly expanded throughout the entire Indiana Department of Correction (IDOC). During a graduation ceremony at the Miami Correctional Facility in December of 2009 the PEN/IDOC program was recognized nationally, by John Ladd, National Administrator of the USDOL Office of Apprenticeship.

In a video address, Administrator Ladd acknowledged the PEN/IDOC Apprenticeship program as the largest prison Apprenticeship program in the nation. Mr. Ladd went on to say that the Indiana program was a model that other states across the nation should mirror.

In June of 2010, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor, Jane Oates, visited Indiana to give the keynote address to group of Apprenticeship Graduates at the Plainfield Correctional Facility. She praised the success of the program for the opportunity it provides offenders to leave prison with documented marketable skills that will greatly enhance their chances of a successful return to society. Before the graduation, Assistant Secretary Oates met with Governor Daniels and others to discuss Indiana's US Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program.

To date, there have been inquires from more than 15 states seeking information regarding the PEN/IDOC USDOL Apprenticeship Program. At least 5 of those states now have registered Apprenticeship Programs in their states. The PEN/IDOC Apprenticeship Programs have contributed directly to these states through the sharing of work processes, registered occupations, tracking method, related training materials, etc.

As we prepare to enter 2012, Apprenticeship continues to flourish in the Indiana Department of Correction. To date there have been more than 20 graduation ceremonies, 1,700+ graduates, a current apprentice enrollment that exceeds 2200, and 65-70 registered occupations. With the recent appointment of a three member State Apprenticeship oversight team, the Department is expecting to continued growth in all areas.

The true evidence of the success of any program is in the numbers. The IDOC has been tracking offenders who have worked in PEN Products, earned USDOL Apprenticeship certification and have been released. This group, who have been released anywhere from 6 months to more than 3 years have a return rate of 19.4%. This number is approximately 20% lower than the general prison population releases. While this study does not yet have quite enough data to be called a recidivism rate, the numbers look very promising. By December 2012 enough data will have been collected to calculate a true recidivism rate for PEN Products USDOL Apprenticeship Graduates.