Public employers engage a variety of skilled trades. From truck mechanics to carpenters to electric line workers, these employees deliver essential services as well as service fleet and property assets. Unfortunately, the U.S. has been experiencing a skilled trade worker shortfall. We have witnessed this phenomenon locally as multiple Trust members report recruitment and retention challenges – despite offering generous compensation packages. It seems too few high school graduates perceive the skilled trades as a desirable career path.

To address this concern, some Trust members have implemented apprenticeship programs which seek to grow existing or newly hired employees into the skilled workers needed by the organization. Given what is at stake, apprenticeship programs must be properly implemented if they are to succeed. What follows are some recommended best practices for public employers to consider to ensure their apprenticeship programs flourish.

1. 1. Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP)

Employers should consider formally registering their program as a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP). Doing so provides several benefits including program logistical support as well as making the program eligible for Pa. and federal funding, including wage reimbursement, grants and other financial assistance. More information on creating a RAP can be found on the Pa. CareerLink website: https://www.pacareerlink.pa.gov/jponline/apprenticeships.    

1. 2. Structured Training Pathways

A successful apprenticeship program combines classroom instruction with on-the-job training. The employer should develop a clear, tiered training structure (aka lesson plan) that outlines the knowledge and skills apprentices need to master at each stage of their development. This progression scheme should be documented to enable equitable implementation. It is often beneficial to partner with local trade schools or community colleges to provide classroom instruction. This “book” knowledge can then be supplemented with practical, “on-the-job” training overseen by the employer’s trainer, mentor or journey worker.

1. 3. Safety as a Cornerstone

Beginning day one, a strong safety culture must be instilled in the apprentice. Apprentices should receive comprehensive safety training with the goal of fostering essential job “survival” skills. Topics include: anticipation of common hazards, job planning to avoid the unexpected and safest work practices. Apprentices should attend regular safety meetings and receive ongoing mentoring in safe behaviors and work practices. The apprentice should be made to feel that they are empowered by the employer to stop work and reassess the job if uncontrolled hazards are present, without fear of ridicule or retaliation. The ultimate goal is to foster a workplace culture that holds safe work practices as essential to properly performing the work.

1. 4. Strong Mentorship and Coaching

The employer’s trainer, mentor or journey worker plays a critical role in transferring knowledge and skills to the apprentice. Not every employee is suited for this “industrial formator” role. In fact, a poor mentor can ruin an otherwise promising apprentice. Critical skills for mentors include a desire to teach others, strong knowledge and skills in the area they are instructing and a positive, kind and patient demeanor. The mentor must expect mistakes from the apprentice which are normal part of the learning process.  Each mistake, however, must lead to a lesson-learned which in turn reduces the likelihood of future error.

1. 5. Clear Progression and Accountability

Apprentices thrive when they understand expectations and see a clear pathway to advancement. Employers should establish measurable benchmarks for skill development, performance reviews, and skill testing. Documented evaluations at each milestone help track progress, address skill gaps, and foster accountability. Along the same lines, employers must ensure apprentices are paid a fair, living wage that increases as they master essential skills and progress through the program. This “earn and learn” model is a powerful motivator for the apprentice to eventually reach journey worker status.

1. 6. Integration into the Workforce

Apprentices should be made to feel like valued members of the work team. They should be assigned meaningful work as soon as they are deemed qualified. Apprentices should not be taken advantage of by other employees or subject to any type of hazing or bullying. All employees should be briefed on the apprentice program. Employees must be made to understand that their support of apprentices during their learning journey greatly affects the apprentice’s skill development as well as fosters team cohesiveness.

1. 7. Supportive Work Environment

Apprenticeship programs are demanding—physically and emotionally. Employer support in the form of wellness resources, peer networking and access to employee assistance programs helps apprentices overcome obstacles along the way and ultimately succeed. Employers that offer these resources demonstrate their investment in employee well-being which helps with recruitment and retention. 

1. 8. Community and Public Engagement

Employers should highlight the apprenticeship program in their social media, newsletters, career fairs and local schools. This promotion not only strengthens the pipeline of future candidates but also builds community pride in the employer’s workforce development efforts.

A well-designed apprenticeship program is more than a pathway to skilled employment—it is an investment in safety, reliability, and the future of public service. By focusing on structure, mentorship, safety, and integration, public employers can develop the highly skilled employees needed to serve the needs of the communities they serve.

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Sources:

(CWOPA), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. “Registered Apprenticeships in Pa.” PA CareerLink®, www.pacareerlink.pa.gov/jponline/apprenticeships. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Callahan, Savannah, and Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. “Best Practices for Building a High‑impact Registered Apprenticeship.” Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, 3 July 2025, www.ialr.org/best-practices-registered-apprenticeship/.

U.S. Government Accountability Office. “Apprenticeship: Earn-and-Learn Opportunities Can Benefit Workers and Employers.” Apprenticeship: Earn-And-Learn Opportunities Can Benefit Workers and Employers | U.S. GAO, 29 May 2025, www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107040.