Giving Compass' Take:

•  Jessica Shakesprere, writing for Urban Institute, lists five misconceptions surrounding apprenticeships and further explains the reality behind them. 

• How can donors help spread awareness about the benefits of apprenticeships? 

• Read more about how apprenticeships could solve employment problems. 

Apprenticeship programs are gaining popularity in the US, as evidence shows they have the potential to expand access to skills training for high-demand occupations, raise wages, and reduce student debt. Despite the existence of a formal, nationally registered apprenticeship system since 1937 and state registered programs that date back even further, the training model is not widely understood by American workers or businesses.

Here we clear up five misconceptions surrounding apprenticeships:

Misconception: Apprenticeships and internships are the same thing. Reality: Internships and apprenticeships are both ways to build a pipeline of ready-to-work talent. The two are often conflated because they both offer hands-on training, but each serves a different purpose and has different outcomes.

Misconception: Apprenticeships are only for the building and construction trades. Reality: Long used as an effective recruitment practice in the building and construction trades, the apprenticeship model has recently been embraced by industries such as advanced manufacturing, accounting, healthcare, IT, and hospitality. Kentucky, for example, launched a program for social care apprenticeships last year.

Misconception: Apprenticeships are a way for companies to get low-cost labor. Reality: Apprenticeships have come under fire because apprentices often start at lower wages. But research finds that employers are more interested in investing in apprentices’ skills than in using apprenticeships to hire cheaper workers.

Misconception: Apprenticeships cost too much for employers. Reality: Amid an expected shortage of 5 million workers by 2020, US employers can use apprenticeships to gain a pipeline of site-specific, skilled, and productive workers.

Misconception: Stigma around enrolling in apprenticeships limits apprenticeship growth. Reality: Apprenticeships are sometimes viewed as viable for a small slice of students who aren’t “college-ready.” But there is strong interest in apprenticeship among a range of applicants, and employers have not been able to keep up with the demand.

Read the full article about misconceptions about apprenticeships by Jessica Shakesprere at Urban Institute.