Graduating college is not the only pathway to economic security and upward mobility for American workers. Through registered apprenticeship programs, the construction industry enables blue-collar workers to achieve middle class lifestyles. However, not all construction apprenticeship programs operate the same way. While outcomes for participants in joint labor-management (or union) apprenticeship programs rival those for college graduates and the programs account for the vast majority of construction apprentices in the United States, employer-only (or nonunion) apprenticeship programs generally produce labor market outcomes that are on par with national averages for high school graduates.
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