New White Paper Confirms Value of Jointly Trusteed Apprenticeship Programs in Construction

A new white paper commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor affirms the benefits of jointly trusteed (union) registered apprenticeship programs. The white paper provides data that backs up many of the issues that MCAA advocates for at the federal level. The white paper may also prove useful to MCAA affiliated associations and member contractors that advocate for those same issues at the state level.

Among the finding are:

• The construction industry trained more apprentices than any other industry from 2019 through 2022 and joint labor-management (union) programs trained 70 percent of all construction apprentices.

• Joint-labor management construction programs had a 56 percent completion rate compared to 46 percent in employer-only construction programs.

• Joint labor-management programs graduated 87 percent of women, 80 percent of military veterans, and 75 percent of Black apprentices in construction.

• In construction, workers from joint labor-management programs earned exit wages of $38 per hour, while those from employer-only programs earned $25 per hour.

• Exit wages from joint construction programs were between $36 and $39 per hour for White, Black, Hispanic, male, female, and veteran construction workers.

• The states with the highest apprenticeship exit wages for union journeyworkers were Massachusetts ($45 per hour), Illinois ($44 per hour), and Hawaii ($40 per hour).

• Prevailing wage laws statistically increased construction apprenticeship wages by $3 per hour.

The white paper, titled Living Wages in Registered Apprenticeship Programs, explores these findings in greater depth. It underscores the value of jointly trusteed apprenticeship programs not only in terms of training outcomes and wage benefits but also in promoting a more inclusive and equitable workforce in the construction industry.