The Gold Standard in Workforce Development: Union Apprenticeship Programs Are Building the Infrastructure Generation
By Emily Pritzkow, Executive Director, Wisconsin Building Trades Council
Apprenticeships are critical training operations that don’t get the attention they deserve for boosting the American economy and helping so many Wisconsinites find their way to lifelong careers and the middle class. Ensuring our communities have sustainable power, clean air and water, as well as building the institutions that keep them vibrant—schools, libraries, hospitals, housing, manufacturing plants, parks, and athletic facilities—it all starts with apprentices.
Wisconsin has always been a leader in developing apprenticeships and skilled craft trades. In fact, apprenticeship in the United States was an unregulated system until Wisconsin passed the country’s first apprenticeship law in 1911. With safeguards for both the apprentice and the employer, Wisconsin’s law became a model for other states and for the federal government in developing their own systems. Today, Wisconsin is unique among the 50 states in requiring that employers pay their apprentices for both time worked and time spent in required classroom instruction, recognizing the equally important weight of both aspects of apprenticeship training.
A new report by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute (MEPI) and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois confirms what many have long known: joint labor-management (union) apprenticeship programs outperform employer-only programs on every meaningful metric – and do so without burdening taxpayers.
Taxpayers Aren’t On The Hook With Union Apprenticeships:
It’s important to note that Wisconsin’s union apprenticeship programs represent one of the largest privately funded systems of higher education in the state. These programs don’t ask taxpayers to foot the bill—but the public reaps the benefits.
Wisconsin’s building trades unions fund their programs through hourly contributions negotiated in collective bargaining agreements. As part of negotiations with their signatory contractors, all union members agree to set aside money to finance training for the next generation. This institutionalized funding ensures consistent, high-quality training—something employer-only programs, which often rely on voluntary contributions and taxpayer funded technical college systems, simply can’t match.
Not All Programs Are Investing In Workers Equally:
One of the most striking findings in the MEPI report is how much more union programs invest in training.
In 2022, union apprenticeship programs accounted for 96% of all construction apprenticeship investments in Wisconsin, totaling over $64 million. Non-union programs contributed just $2.9 million—a mere 4% of the state’s total construction apprenticeship investment.
On a per-person basis, the difference is even more dramatic: union programs invest over $7,500 annually per apprentice, compared to just $1,200 in employer-only programs. That’s a six-fold difference in the resources provided to help apprentices succeed.
Apprentices trained through joint programs are safer on the job, more productive, and more likely to stay in the industry. Employers report fewer project delays, less turnover, and higher performance. In short, these are not just training programs—they are a pipeline of skilled, local talent that helps keep Wisconsin’s construction industry strong and competitive.
Apprenticeships Exceed College Outcomes, But Without The Debt:
We often talk about college as a proven route to a middle-class life. But union apprenticeship programs are offering an equally viable path—and they’re doing it without the burden of student debt.
The completion rate for union apprenticeship programs in Wisconsin is identical to the five-year graduation rate at the University of Wisconsin System: 63%. And the payoff is substantial. Union journeyworkers—graduates of joint programs—earn an average of $41 per hour, compared to $27 for non-union construction workers.
In fact, union journeyworkers earn more, on average, than Wisconsin workers with a master’s degree without taking on loans. And because those wages are earned across a full career, they represent a path to stable housing, family-sustaining jobs, and economic mobility.
Union programs also serve as a pathway to the middle class for groups of people who have faced systemic workforce barriers. In 2022, union programs enrolled 89% of Women apprentices, 89% of Black apprentices, 79% of Hispanic apprentices, and 82% of Veteran apprentices working toward careers in the trades. In comparison, employer-only programs served a much narrower cross-section of the workforce. If we’re serious about equity and opportunity, union programs are the proven path.
What Works, Works:
The role of mentorship is critical to our success—mentorship keeps apprentices safe and instills in them the knowledge of career professionals that will serve them well in their craft. Working in the skilled trades offers the opportunity to be creative and to work with both your mind and your hands. Apprentices focus on doing meaningful, useful, and challenging work that requires knowledge and craftsmanship. They build relationships with people from all walks of life, in all kinds of environments.
This is an exciting time for our industry and an incredible opportunity. We have a big-tent mentality in the skilled trades; it’s truly a place where people from all backgrounds and abilities can thrive. We view the work we do as central to community building—it isn’t just about being the gold standard of training and craftsmanship, but also being part of a workplace that sets the standard for treating everyone with respect and value.
