DES MOINES, IOWA (November 14, 2022) — Iowa is kicking off its celebration of National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) while also celebrating news that the number of Iowans taking part in apprenticeships has never been higher. New data from the US Department of Labor/Office of Apprenticeship recently revealed that in federal fiscal year 2022, Iowa reached a record level of 9,731 active apprentices and created the highest number of new programs in the country.
Iowa’s leadership and increased investment in Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs has sparked an ongoing expansion into high-demand fields, including recent new apprenticeships in health-care, education (teacher/paraeducator), and 25 non-traditional occupations. In FY 2022, Iowa registered 5,402 new apprentices and 163 new programs.
National Apprenticeship Week (NAW), taking place from November 14-20, is a nationwide celebration of the success and value of Registered Apprenticeship programs. Visit this link to view a list of activities and resources for Iowa’s National Apprenticeship Week celebration.
Iowa Workforce Development and its partners are highlighting the roles of high-school students, adults, educators, and employers who are supporting increased growth and access to more career opportunities. To kick off the celebration, IWD visited Storm Lake Community School District to highlight the district’s leadership in the new Teacher/Paraeducator RA program and work to build pipelines at the high-school level.To commemorate the state’s success, Governor Kim Reynolds released a statewide proclamation and video message. “Iowa is a national leader in creating Registered Apprenticeship programs. I’m proud to support this effort, and I’m committed to growing apprenticeship programs even further and across a wider array of industries,” said Gov Reynolds. “Apprenticeship programs also offer long-term solutions for some of our most pressing workforce issues.”
“While Iowa has always been a leader for creating Registered Apprenticeship programs, the increase in participants this year demonstrates the need for new and innovative training programs coming out of the pandemic,” said Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “Registered Apprenticeships provide Iowans with a good living while they increase their skillset, and they often promote retention as newly-skilled workers predominately stay with the employer that trained them.”
Iowa’s focus on RA programs continues to help drive demand for building the state's labor pool, benefiting both job-seekers and employers. The earn-and-learn model allows apprentices to earn wages from Day 1, learn under the mentorship of a skilled professional, and obtain a valuable credential upon program completion — something that typically leads to a good paying job. Iowa has committed more than $50 million this year to support existing and new Registered Apprenticeship programs, including an innovative Health Careers RA program and a first-in-the-nation Teacher/Paraeducator RA grant program.
For more information on Registered Apprenticeship programs and how to get involved, visit EarnandLearnIowa.gov.
