MADISON, WI – A new study from the Wisconsin Policy Forum confirms what union leaders and workforce experts have known for years: Wisconsin’s apprenticeship system is a thriving national leader in training the next generation of workers.
The study, “Mastering Apprenticeships,” highlights a nearly 80% increase in registered apprenticeship participation since 2013 and ranks Wisconsin 11th nationally in apprentices per capita.
“We’re thrilled to see this level of growth,” said Emily Pritzkow, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council. “The Wisconsin Policy Forum’s new report confirms what we’ve known all along: that Wisconsin is a national leader in training skilled tradesworkers.”
While the WPF report does not specify who is doing the training of these workers, data from a recent study by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute (MEPI) helps fill in the details on who is doing the training and what outcomes those apprentices achieve:
- Union programs train 77% of all construction apprentices in Wisconsin, despite representing a minority of the overall construction industry.
- 96% of all construction apprenticeship dollars in the state are invested by unions and their contractor partners.
- The typical union journeyworker earns $41/hour, which is 26% more than the median earnings of a bachelor’s degree holder in Wisconsin, and 5% more than someone with a master’s degree.
Together, these findings tell a clear story: Wisconsin’s apprenticeship system is growing, and union training programs are leading the way.
“Taken together, these two studies provide irrefutable proof: union-led apprenticeship programs are the foundation of Wisconsin’s workforce success,” said Pritzkow. “From training the vast majority of construction apprentices to delivering better wages and stronger outcomes, unions are not just participating in the system, they’re driving it forward.”
