Wisconsin’s efforts to prepare skilled workers
With labor shortages reported in Wisconsin across many industries, it is encouraging that participation in the state’s apprenticeship programs is at a record high. Newer apprenticeship programs in several high-demand health care occupations also appear promising for expansion. Gains could also be made by strengthening connections between youth and registered apprenticeship pathways and by expanding pre-apprenticeship training programs, which introduce workers to the skilled trades and connect them to employers.
The number of Wisconsinites employed as apprentices has grown considerably over the last decade and reached a record high in 2024, according to data from the state’s Department of Workforce Development. That year, 17,509 individuals participated in Wisconsin’s Registered Apprenticeship Program, which was more than 77% higher than in 2013 (Figure 1).
This is welcome news at a time when employers in the state continue to report struggles to find needed workers in many occupations. That is the case not only in the construction and manufacturing industries but also in healthcare, education, agriculture, and more. In many cases, this problem is intensifying as baby boomers retire and fewer young people are available to replace them. It is critical, therefore, to ask whether our current landscape of registered apprenticeships and related programs, such as the state’s Youth Apprenticeship and Certified Pre-Apprenticeship programs, is reaching its full potential to train future workers.
Apprenticeships play a critical role in developing workers for careers in skilled trades. Usually lasting between one and five years (depending on the trade), registered apprenticeships involve paid, on-the-job training coupled with classroom instruction often provided at a technical college and also paid for by the employer. Once a worker completes an apprenticeship – and passes a licensure exam in occupations that require a license – they achieve journey worker status and are able to earn higher wages.
Best known for their role in the construction industry, registered apprenticeships are available in Wisconsin in about 200 occupations across many industries. To help meet industry demand, additional programs are created regularly for occupations that the state deems “apprenticeable,” meaning they are typically learned on-the-job but require complementary instruction.
While apprenticeships are considered entry-level jobs, hiring an apprentice requires a significant investment by an employer, so workers typically need some related knowledge and experience to secure a position. Often, this means working directly for the employer as a general laborer for some time before being brought on as an apprentice. As previously noted, the state of Wisconsin also administers programs that certify and monitor “pre-apprenticeship” training programs and youth apprenticeships, which can provide bridges to employment, including to registered apprenticeships.
In this brief, we examine Wisconsin’s Registered Apprenticeship, Certified Pre-Apprenticeship, and Youth Apprenticeship training landscape, explaining how these three state programs function and connect, analyzing participation and completion data by county and trade, and identifying potential opportunities to strengthen these programs to benefit both workers and the state’s economy.
To do so, we use data from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, U.S. Department of Labor, and U.S. Census Bureau, and insights from interviews with more than a dozen workforce development leaders from throughout the state.
Wisconsin is an Early Leader on Apprenticeships
The strong and steady growth in Wisconsin’s Registered Apprenticeship Program over the last decade comes more than 100 years after the state pioneered the first apprenticeship law in the United States in 1911, providing protections for both workers and employers. Wisconsin’s apprenticeship system later became a model for other states and for the federal government.
To some extent, Wisconsin remains a national leader, with a relatively strong concentration of apprentices per capita. As of January 2025, Wisconsin ranked 11th nationally in the number of active apprentices per 1,000 residents, according to our analysis of federal data (Figure 2). With 2.4 apprentices per 1,000 residents, Wisconsin outpaced both the 50-state median of 1.7 and the neighboring states of Illinois (1.7), Minnesota (2.0), and Michigan (2.1), but lagged Iowa (3.0) and Indiana (3.7). Hawaii (4.2) led the nation on this metric.
State data show Wisconsin had an even higher rate in 2024, with approximately 3.0 active apprentices per 1,000 residents.
How Workers Secure Apprenticeships
There are three different apprenticeship models used in Wisconsin, depending on the industry and whether the position is affiliated with a union. In industries other than construction, employers serve as the “sole sponsors” of apprentices, meaning they can hire those workers directly while coordinating with the state’s Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards, which sets statewide requirements and must approve the contracts for all registered apprenticeships in the state.
For union construction jobs, apprenticeship committees oversee each trade, serving as the sponsor of the positions and coordinating between workers, employers, and the state. Those committees also play an important role in establishing the standards and procedures with which applicants must comply to be eligible for apprenticeships, which vary by trade. For example, some committees require aspiring apprentices to have specific certifications, while many require them to demonstrate certain competencies, such as by earning a minimum score on the Accuplacer exam. Some committees rank eligible candidates based on their qualifications, giving higher-ranking candidates an advantage in seeking work, while others give all eligible candidates a letter of introduction that they are free to use to pursue work opportunities with any prospective employer.
Individuals are also able to pursue registered apprenticeships in the construction trades directly with non-union employers. For many of those positions, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin helps to manage the process, coordinating between workers, employers, and the state. Some non-union employers operate apprenticeship committees independent of ABC, while others operate under a local joint apprenticeship committee associated with a union.
Industry, County, and Demographic Variation Industry
Roughly two-thirds of the active apprentices in Wisconsin in 2024 were pursuing careers in the construction industry, with the highest participation levels for individuals working as electricians (3,172), plumbers (2,167), operating engineers (1,280), construction carpenters (1,260), and construction craft laborers (755) (see Figure 3). Those five trades together accounted for nearly half of the statewide total. Beyond construction, many apprentices were employed in manufacturing, and smaller numbers worked for health care or utility companies or in service occupations such as cosmetology.
In 62 of the state’s 72 counties, more apprentices were employed in construction than in any other industry in 2024, while manufacturing was the top industry in nine of the remaining 10 counties (see Figure 4). Counties with large numbers of individuals employed as apprentices in the manufacturing industry included Winnebago (283), Manitowoc (141), Marinette (71), and Ozaukee (69). All county data is based on the location of the employer or union sponsor and not the worker’s residence.
County
As shown below in Figure 5, the scale of apprenticeship activity varies considerably across the state. Dane, Outagamie, and Waukesha counties were among those with both the largest numbers and concentrations of apprentices in 2024, while 13 rural counties were in the lowest tier on both measures. Fast-growing Dane County led the state with 2,626 apprentices, including 1,914 in the construction trades.
On a population-adjusted basis, Outagamie and Sauk counties had the highest concentrations of apprentices in the state by far in 2024, with 7.9 per 1,000 residents. Outagamie had 1,512 active apprentices that year, ranking fourth after the state’s three most populous counties of Milwaukee, Dane, and Waukesha.
Demographics
Demographic changes are creating pressure to diversify Wisconsin’s workforce across industries. The state’s population is aging, and the working-age population (those ages 18 to 64) has plateaued and shrunk slightly since 2010. Wisconsin is also growing more racially diverse: for example, its non-Hispanic white population fell by over 100,000 between 2010 and 2023, while its Hispanic population rose by over 140,000 during the same period, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The state’s Black population has remained relatively steady.
Meanwhile, the share of the state’s apprentices who are Hispanic has doubled over the last decade to 8.1% in 2024 (Figure 6). Hispanic workers may still be somewhat underrepresented as registered apprentices, however, as approximately 10.2% of the state’s population between the ages of 20 and 34 (the prime age range for apprentices) were Hispanic or Latino as of 2023.
Less progress has been made to broaden the apprenticeship workforce in other ways. Both Black workers and female workers (of any race) made up smaller percentages of the state’s registered apprentices in 2024 than a decade earlier. Female workers continue to be highly underrepresented among active apprentices – a common issue nationally. Black workers are also underrepresented, accounting for 4.5% of apprentices in 2024 but 7.8% of the state’s population ages 20 to 34 as of 2023.
Pre-Apprenticeship Programs Offer Primers
Before an individual can pursue a registered apprenticeship, they must choose a trade, meet whatever qualifications exist to be eligible for an apprenticeship in that trade, and identify potential employers or union sponsors. To assist with this process, several organizations throughout the state have developed “pre-apprenticeship” training programs that offer participants orientations to specific occupations and to how the state’s apprenticeship system works, hands-on learning opportunities, and connections to registered apprenticeship sponsors. Some of these programs also help participants to prepare for and pass required exams. Pre-apprenticeship training programs are not directly tied to registered apprenticeships, however, and do not involve paid work.
Recognizing the role these programs play in preparing people to enter the skilled trades, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development introduced its Certified Pre-Apprenticeship Program in 2017. Although successful completion of a state-certified pre-apprenticeship program does not guarantee placement in a registered apprenticeship, programs can only become certified if they meet a set of requirements, including having a letter of support from an active registered apprenticeship sponsor and being engaged in partnership activities with that sponsor. Along with Oregon and Washington, Wisconsin is considered a national leader in its recognition of pre-apprenticeship programs.
In 2023 and 2024, a total of 2,029 individuals participated in state-certified pre-apprenticeship programs, according to the state agency. Among them, 1,674 or 82.5% completed their program. The vast majority of those who completed these trainings (1,459 or 87.2%) were in programs focused on the construction trades (a considerably higher share than for registered apprenticeships), with the remainder scattered across several other industries (Figure 7). Relatively few pre-apprenticeship program participants are pursuing careers in manufacturing, despite the industry providing large numbers of registered apprenticeships. No pre-apprenticeship training programs currently exist in Wisconsin for those interested in healthcare occupations. Workforce development leaders could consider whether expanding or creating programs for those industries would be beneficial.
State-certified pre-apprenticeship programs are much less geographically dispersed than registered apprenticeship positions. They exist primarily in the state’s two most populous counties of Milwaukee and Dane. As Figure 8 shows, a majority (61%) of the individuals who completed a pre-apprenticeship program in 2023 and 2024 were in Milwaukee County (1,025), with Dane County (467) accounting for much of the remainder (28%). Racine and Brown were the only other counties with sizable numbers of pre-apprenticeship completions across multiple programs.
Data provided by the state’s largest pre-apprenticeship program provider–WRTP|BIG STEP, which trained two-thirds of those who completed pre-apprenticeship training programs in Wisconsin in 2023 and 2024–suggests that demand for these programs exists in many counties where no programming is currently available. For example, while WRTP|BIG STEP offers its largest such program (the BIG STEP Readiness Program focused on the construction trades) in Milwaukee, Madison, and Racine, its 2023 and 2024 participants commuted to those locations from 32 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, primarily in the southern half of the state. Additional participants commuted from northern Illinois.
Our analysis of pre-apprenticeship program participation was limited to 2023 and 2024 because of the state Department of Workforce Development’s concerns regarding the accuracy of its data for previous years. Our analysis was also constrained because DWD currently does not collect complete data on program locations and refrains from sharing participant demographics due to the small numbers of participants in some programs. Producing the map in Figure 8 required us to collect data directly from several organizations that offer these programs and two state agencies, and required additional work to resolve data inconsistencies. Moving forward, the state may wish to expand its data tracking to be able to report additional information about these programs and their participants.
Conversions to Registered Apprenticeships
As previously noted, one key objective of pre-apprenticeship programs is to prepare individuals for registered apprenticeships and connect them to employers offering those opportunities. To understand how often those “conversions” occur–and given it can take time for qualified individuals to secure a registered apprenticeship–we requested data from DWD on the number of individuals who completed a state-certified pre-apprenticeship program in 2023 and entered a registered apprenticeship in either 2023 or 2024.
Among the 995 individuals who completed a pre-apprenticeship program in Wisconsin in 2023, 255 had entered a registered apprenticeship by 2024, for an overall conversion rate of 25.6%. While that means roughly three-quarters of program completions did not result in a registered apprenticeship during that time, that is not necessarily a bad sign. According to several workforce development leaders we interviewed, many individuals who complete these programs are hired directly by employers, though not as registered apprentices, and some others may still enter registered apprenticeships in 2025. They also noted that if a training program helps a person to decide that a particular trade is not for them, that could also be considered a successful outcome. Other factors that can contribute to a delay in or lack of conversion to registered apprenticeships include shifts in the economic and employment landscape and allowable waiting periods between hire and acceptance into an apprenticeship. Still, workforce development leaders may contemplate whether this conversion rate meets their expectations.
Among the 255 individuals who progressed from a pre-apprenticeship program to a registered apprenticeship, 222 had completed WRTP|BIG STEP’s Apprenticeship Readiness program in construction or its Entry Level Construction Skills Training program (see Figure 9). The only other pre-apprenticeship program with more than five such conversions was the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Highway Construction Skills Training Program, which trained 25 individuals in 2023 who entered registered apprenticeships that year or in 2024. WRTP|BIG STEP is one of several organizations that lead the DOT’s Highway Skills Training Program and trained 12 of the 25 individuals who went on to register for apprenticeships. Thus, the organization accounted for about 92% of the conversions overall–considerably higher than the share of the state’s pre-apprenticeship program graduates it trained in 2023 (67%).
The two trade committees that hired the largest numbers of those pre-apprenticeship program graduates as registered apprentices were both steamfitters unions, with 48 becoming registered apprentices through the Madison Area Steamfitters and 42 through the Southeast Wisconsin Area Steamfitters. Other committees that hired large numbers of graduates as registered apprentices were the Southeast Wisconsin Construction Craft Laborers (20), Southeast Wisconsin Area Carpentry (18), and South Central Wisconsin Construction Craft Laborers (16). It may be worth considering why and how these committees have hired more pre-apprenticeship program graduates as registered apprentices than others, and whether that holds insights that could boost the number of conversions in additional trades.
Additional Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
Seeking to understand what other similar training programs may exist throughout the state that are not state-certified, we contacted the leaders of each of the state’s 11 regional workforce development boards, which are charged with strengthening the workforce and connections between workers and employers in their areas. While the board in Milwaukee County (Employ Milwaukee) offers pre-apprenticeship programs itself, and the board in South Central Wisconsin is well aware of the programs that exist in that region, board leaders in some other parts of the state were unfamiliar with these programs and the role they play. That is perhaps unsurprising given that certified pre-apprenticeship programs do not currently exist in much of the state.
The workforce board leaders in a few regions did identify one or two programs in their areas that offer similar pre-apprenticeship opportunities for adults or youth. For example, Craftsman with Character is a privately funded program that offers students in nearly 50 high schools (primarily in south central Wisconsin) hands-on training in the construction trades coupled with character development in areas like teamwork and effective communication. Participants spend six hours per week job shadowing at area businesses with mentors. This program essentially serves as a pre-youth apprenticeship program and does not fit with the state’s definitions for youth apprenticeship or certified pre-apprenticeship.
Youth Apprenticeships Provide Additional Career Pathways
The Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program, which was created in 1991 and is also overseen by the state’s Department of Workforce Development, offers high school students one or two years of work-based learning in a wide range of occupations. Youth apprenticeships involve paid, on-the-job training, with complementary classroom instruction and mentorship. Regional “consortia” comprised of one or more school districts and other partners (typically public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals) receive state grant funding to coordinate these programs at the local level, including the recruitment of students and employers.
Participation in the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program has grown even faster than in the state’s Registered Apprenticeship Program, more than doubling since 2019 to 11,357 in 2025 (see Figure 10).
That growth has been relatively consistent across multiple industries, though as Figure 11 shows, in 2025, more youth apprentices were working in health care occupations than in any other industry. This reflects strong growth in that sector and widespread interest among high school students in pursuing careers in healthcare.
In contrast to the state’s Registered Apprenticeship and Certified Pre-Apprenticeship programs, relatively few youth apprentices work in construction or manufacturing, with only about 13% of those positions in 2025 categorized as manufacturing and 12% as construction or architecture.
Our interviews with workforce development leaders from across the state indicated that Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship Program is highly regarded overall, but many noted that there are few connections made from youth apprenticeships to registered apprenticeships. One reason is that youth apprenticeships are available in many occupations for which no registered apprenticeship programs currently exist, such as marketing, business administration, and education (an apprenticeship program for teachers has been piloted, but efforts to expand it into a full program have not advanced).
Health care is one area where those connections have been stronger and could potentially expand further. UW Health in Madison, which employs large numbers of both youth and registered apprentices, reported positive results in seeing many of its youth participants become certified as nursing assistants or pharmacy technicians and then advance into registered apprenticeships in several health care occupations.
Youth apprentices are more evenly spread throughout the state than registered apprentices. All but 13 of the state’s 72 counties averaged at least 25 youth apprentices per year between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 school years, as illustrated in Figure 12. Brown (810) and Waukesha (516) counties led the state with the highest annual average number of youth apprentices during that period.
At a time of low unemployment, surging retirement among skilled workers, and strong demand for labor across many industries, it is encouraging that participation in Wisconsin’s Registered Apprenticeship and Youth Apprenticeship programs are at record levels. Wisconsin also compares favorably with most other states nationally in its concentration of registered apprentices per capita, and the state also stands out for having a structure in place to certify qualifying pre-apprenticeship training programs that prepare people for work in the trades, which is uncommon nationally.
Our analysis highlights several challenges and potential opportunities to strengthen apprenticeships in Wisconsin, however, including limited connections between the state’s youth and registered apprenticeship opportunities, continued underrepresentation of female and Black workers among registered apprentices, and a lack of pre-apprenticeship training opportunities outside of a few urban counties.
Most registered apprentices in Wisconsin work in construction and manufacturing, while most youth apprentices work in other industries. Workforce development leaders could consider whether there may be opportunities to strengthen links where occupational pathways already overlap between the two programs. While new registered apprenticeship programs are created based on industry need, there may also be demand to develop those programs for some occupations that currently only offer youth apprenticeships. Given the continued demand for healthcare workers and the popularity of youth apprenticeships in healthcare, several new registered apprenticeship programs pioneered by UW Health in Dane County may hold promise for expansion elsewhere if the resources needed to do so can be secured.
Pre-apprenticeship programs, which offer training and connections to employers but not paid work, serve as a first step for many adults interested in exploring careers in the trades. The state has certified pre-apprenticeship programs since 2017, but few if any such programs exist in most of the state, and the role they play is not widely understood outside of the counties where they are currently available. While the programs that do exist are overwhelmingly focused on the construction trades, workforce development leaders could consider expanding or creating new programs in other industries with registered apprenticeship opportunities, such as manufacturing or health care.
State data show that WRTP|BIG STEP, which has locations in Milwaukee, Madison, and Racine, is the only state-certified pre-apprenticeship program provider in Wisconsin seeing large numbers of graduates enter registered apprenticeships, though others are hired by employers in non-apprenticeship positions. Still, these data show why WRTP|BIG STEP’s model will soon be expanded to other parts of the state. The organization’s data show that its participants already come from well beyond the three counties where its programs are currently offered.
Apprenticeships are not the only pathway to careers in the skilled trades, but given the state’s declining working-age population and persistent labor shortages in many occupations, they represent an important workforce development tool that state leaders should seek to maximize.
Source: Wisconsin Policy Forum
The mission of the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership | Building Industry Group Skilled Trade Employment Program (WRTP | BIG STEP) is to enhance the ability of public and private sector organizations to recruit, develop, and retain a more diverse, qualified workforce in construction, manufacturing, and emerging sectors of the regional economy. The nonprofit serves Wisconsin residents in the Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, and northern Wisconsin regions.