Are you looking to get work experience? College credit? Money? On-the-job training? Mentorship? Networking? All of the above?
Apprenticeships offer a unique opportunity to gain practical work experience and build skills in your desired industry while earning money and getting college credit.
What’s the catch? If you’re willing to put in the time, almost nothing! This guide will share the benefits of apprenticeships, how these experiences compare to other experiential learning opportunities, and how you can get an apprenticeship.
What Is an Apprenticeship?
An apprenticeship is a work-based learning experience that combines on-the-job training with classroom learning. These programs emphasize hands-on experience — meaning you’ll actually be helping with and doing work in your chosen trade or profession.
These work-based learning opportunities tend to last between one and four years, depending on the industry and specific position.
You’ll be able to find apprenticeships across a variety of industries, typically in skilled trades, technical fields, and professional services. Common industries that offer these programs include:
- Trades: Construction, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, welding
- Technology: Software development, cybersecurity, IT support
- Health care: Nursing, pharmacy, medical technology
- Finance: Accounting, banking, insurance
- Manufacturing: Automotive, aerospace, electronics
- Hospitality: Culinary arts, hospitality management
- Creative Arts: Graphic design, animation, film
The specific tasks and responsibilities of an apprentice will vary depending on the field and their experience level. However, a typical day might involve:
- Working alongside professionals
- Attending classes to learn job skills
- Completing assigned projects to apply your experience and skills
Apprenticeships offer mentorship and networking opportunities in addition to training. You may receive specific career guidance and support from a mentor or have conversations with colleagues and industry professionals.
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Are Apprenticeships Worth It?
Apprenticeships are experiential learning opportunities that almost have it all. While they’re more time-consuming than other work-based experiences, there are tons of apprenticeship benefits — from the experience you’ll gain to the money you’ll earn.
- Hands-on experience: the opportunity to do specific tasks, projects, and real-world work in the field
- Skill building: learning the necessary technical and practical skills you need to do the job, as well as soft skills when working with others
- Salary or stipend: compensation for your time
- Earning potential: higher average salaries post-apprenticeship than the national average
- Networking and mentorship: working closely with professionals in the field who can offer advice, guidance, and industry connections
- Career advancement: nearly guaranteed job placement post-apprenticeship, with 93% of registered apprentices retaining employment
Apprenticeships vs. Other Work-Based Learning Opportunities
If you’re thinking that an apprenticeship sounds like an internship, you’d be right — both are opportunities to get hands-on experience in an industry you’re interested in. Yet there are key differences between the scope and benefits of apprenticeships versus other work-based learning opportunities.
| Definition | Duration | Pay | Application process | Chance of getting hired | |
| Apprenticeship | Hands-on, on-the-job and classroom training | One to four years | Paid; also often offers school credit | Conventional application process, including eligibility requirements (age, education, physical) | Extremely high; 93% of registered apprentices retain employment |
| Internship | Hands-on work experience doing entry-level tasks | Weeks to months | A majority (60%) of internships are paid | Full competitive application process, especially in specific fields (investment banking, consulting) | Medium to high; some companies, like PwC, give job offers to 90% of their interns |
| Externship | Observing someone’s daily work and assisting them with tasks | Days to weeks | Unpaid; often offers school credit | Light application process, or found through networking | Unlikely; more likely to get an offer through networking |
| Job simulation | Virtual learning experience completing sample real-world tasks at top companies | Few hours (self-paced) | Unpaid | None (open access) | Medium to high; Foragers are 3.3x more likely to land a role |
| Job shadowing | Observing a day in the life of someone’s specific role | Days | Unpaid | Found through networking | Unlikely; more likely to get an offer through networking |
How to Get an Apprenticeship
Here’s how to find and get an apprenticeship from start to finish.
1. Search for Apprenticeships That Interest You
Like any job search, finding an apprenticeship starts with some research. You’ll need to figure out what kind of apprenticeship you want and start gathering links of positions that interest you.
U.S. Department of Labor Sites
Unlike other job searches, however, there are apprenticeship-specific sites that can help you find open opportunities. There’s an official U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship job finder that allows you to search by occupation, company name, keywords, and location. On this site, you can also search for apprenticeship programs, which can help connect you with employers that offer apprenticeships, even if they don’t have any open positions you’re interested in at the moment.
There are also state-specific apprenticeship sites. For example, New York State’s Department of Labor has an entire apprenticeship section on its website, which shares more about the state’s registered apprenticeships, why you might want to do one, and a jobs board to search.
Industry Associations
Many industries have specific associations that offer apprenticeship programs or resources, including trade and professional associations.
From healthcare and finance to manufacturing and construction, you can find specific associations that run apprenticeship programs to bring more young professionals into the field. For example, both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) run U.S. Department of Labor-approved programs.
First, search associations within the industry you’re interested in; then, look on association websites to find information about open positions.
Job Boards and Company Websites
Conventional job search rules still apply. You can search general job sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter — be sure to include “apprenticeship” in your search terms!
If you’re interested in working for a specific company, you can also navigate directly to their careers page and search for apprenticeships. They may include them on a company-specific job board or apprenticeship page.
2. Check the Eligibility Requirements
Apprenticeships can have more specific eligibility requirements than other jobs may have. In a typical job search, you may still apply to a job if you meet 60-70% of the job description. However, eligibility requirements tend to be more strict when applying to apprenticeships. That’s because there are typically a few different types of requirements:
- Age requirements: some programs require you to be at least 16; more hazardous apprenticeships tend to have a minimum age of 18
- Educational requirements: apprenticeship sponsors may require a high school diploma, GED certificate, or even a certain number of years of post-secondary education
- Physical requirements: skilled trade apprenticeships may require certain physical abilities, such as being able to lift heavy objects or withstand long hours of bending or standing
There may be more common requirements as well, including specific skills, experience, or working rights. Be sure to read the apprenticeship job description carefully.
3. Nail Your Application
Once you’ve found the apprenticeships you want to apply for and ensured you meet the basic requirements, it’s time to submit your application.
Recruiters and hiring managers in apprenticeships aren’t typically looking for candidates with tons of experience. Instead, showing your growth mindset and dedication to the field is more important.
Show you’re a quick learner by providing examples of how you’ve adapted to using new tools or processes in other work-based experiences, extracurriculars, or in the classroom. The goal is to demonstrate your adaptability and ability to respond quickly to new information and ideas.
You can show your dedication to the field by highlighting relevant courses, activities, independent projects, or work experiences that relate to the industry you’re interested in. For example, if you’re interested in a graphic design apprenticeship, you might include a portfolio of work you’ve done or share how you completed a job simulation in design. You don’t need to have had a fancy job in the field already — you need to show that you’re interested in the industry and excited to learn more.
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Apprenticeships: The Bottom Line
So, what is an apprenticeship? An apprenticeship is a type of work-based learning experience that mixes on-the-job training with classroom learning. These programs can include more specific skilled trades like plumbing or construction but also range across various professional service industries.
Apprenticeships tend to be longer commitments, ranging anywhere from many months to multiple years. While the time spent in an apprenticeship is far longer than other work-based learning experiences, these programs have nearly guaranteed benefits. Apprentices are highly likely to land a role and have higher earning potential after they’ve completed their program.
If you’re looking to land an apprenticeship, half of the battle is finding the right one for you.
Searching official national and state apprenticeship sites can help you sort through open opportunities — but be sure to check that you meet the eligibility requirements. Once you’ve found one you think you’re a good fit for, it’s time to show your interest and learning potential.
Show your dedication to a field and boost your chances of landing an apprenticeship by completing free Forage job simulations with top employers.
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