Post-Secondary Education

The Roles That Colleges and Universities Play in Apprenticeship

As a training provider, colleges and universities deliver academic instruction driven by industry standards. 

Primary responsibilities include co-creating apprenticeship curriculum alongside local businesses, granting progressive credentials based on competency testing, and facilitating access to financial aid and other support resources (e.g., academic, tutoring, counseling).

As an intermediary, colleges and universities serve as connectors to their local business community while remaining committed to providing students with quality education, experiential learning, and skills that meet employer needs. 

Primary responsibilities include recruiting, screening, and testing potential apprentices ready, to begin with, an apprenticeship sponsor. Colleges and universities work with individual employers, large and small, to design a tailored curriculum that meets individual employers' business goals.

As a sponsor, colleges and universities operate a Registered Apprenticeship Program. 

Primary responsibilities include assuming full responsibility for the administration and operation of an apprenticeship program. This includes employing apprentices.

The Nation's 105 HBCUs are located in 20 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and serve more than 300,000 undergraduate and graduate students. These institutions continue to be important engines of economic growth and community service, and they are proven ladders of intergenerational advancement for men and women of all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds, especially African Americans. The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence and Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) calls for Federal Agencies to work in partnership with HBCU leaders, representatives, students, and alumni, to eliminate barriers HBCUs face in providing the highest-quality education to a growing number of students. 

In addition to HBCUs, there are hundreds of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) across the United States—there were 797 MSIs in operation as of 2021 according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. The Office of Apprenticeship partners with the Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) as a part of the DEIA Registered Apprenticeship Technical Assistance Center of Excellence. CMSI developed a report on the current state of registered apprenticeship across Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Learn more about the Office of Apprenticeship’s DEIA efforts on apprenticeship.gov. 

Registered Apprenticeship is an innovative and time-tested superhighway in the education and workforce development infrastructure, particularly for communities who have been excluded from good jobs for far too long. Good jobs, like Registered Apprenticeships, help develop highly skilled workers and help career seekers launch successful, well-paying careers. Registered Apprenticeship can serve individuals historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality by allowing apprentices to earn while they learn. The MSIs listed below have launched or joined a Registered Apprenticeship Program. There are 81 MSIs sponsoring Registered Apprenticeship programs. There are 19 HBCU sponsors and training providers (as of March 2024). 

MSI Sponsors Key:

• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (AANH)
• Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI)
• Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI)
• Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI)
• Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI)
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
• Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU)