During the past five to 10 years, the United States has seen more industry and academic institutions embrace apprenticeship programs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2013 to 2017, the number of those participating in apprenticeship programs grew from 375,000 to almost 534,000, an increase of about 42 percent. In 2017, the number of apprentices was 25-percent higher than the 20-year average of 425,000. In the UK, the trend has been even more dramatic, with a threefold increase in apprenticeships from 2005 to 2015.

Addressing the skills gap has been part of the reason for this growth—industry trying to create its own skilled workforce, but so too has been the increasing cost of education and a cultural shift that has somewhat relaxed about the idea that you have to go to college in order to get a well-paying job. In many ways, apprenticeships address both those issues. According to “Why Apprenticeships Are Taking Off,” registered apprenticeships have five defining features:

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