National Apprenticeship Week - November 15-21, 2021

Why Inclusive Apprenticeships Matter

Established by the U.S. Department of Labor, National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) celebrates apprentices, employers, apprenticeship intermediaries, and other critical partners who create employment opportunities through apprenticeship programs. During this critical time, creating a skilled workforce that is diverse and inclusive is more important than ever.

PIA celebrates the importance of developing inclusive apprenticeship programs to build a career pathway for apprentices—apprentices of all ages, disabilities, races, genders, gender identities, sexual identities, and religions— to attain skills and credentials in all industries.

Josh Christianson“I truly believe apprenticeship is the way to go and being inclusive is the way to create a pool of diverse, skilled talent. Inclusive apprenticeships can also create career paths for people with disabilities who have traditionally been excluded from the workforce.”

– Josh Christianson, Project Director, Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship

There are significant benefits to designing programs that are diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible to all, including:

Workers who complete apprenticeship programs can earn $300,000 more over a career than their peers who don’t.

diverse group of people and a globe

Job seekers prefer employers who are inclusive.[1] 76% of employees and job seekers said a diverse workforce was important when evaluating companies and job offers.[2]

89% of registered apprentices demonstrated a 3-year retention rate. And at four Walgreens locations, the 3-year average turnover rate was 48% higher for team members without a disability as compared to team members with a disability, saving on recruiting and training costs.[3]

Apprenticeships may offer meaningful employment opportunities for the 35% of BIPOC Americans with disabilities who lost their job during the pandemic. The most financially vulnerable population in America is the group of individuals that live at the intersection of disability, race, and ethnicity. (“Race, Ethnicity, and Disability: The Financial Impact of Systemic Inequality and Intersectionality,” National Disability Institute, August 2020

Resources

Apprentices:

Employers and Intermediaries:

Podcast:

people connectedGet Involved

Upcoming Events:

  • Advancing Inclusive Apprenticeships: A National Online Dialogue on Increasing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Apprenticeships
    U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) | November 16-December 3, 2021 | Website

Past Events:

Find More NAW Events