RESEARCH STARTER

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship is a training system characterized by a legal agreement between a master craftsman and an apprentice, outlining the duration of training and the responsibilities of both parties. Historically, apprenticeships date back to ancient civilizations, such as Babylon, and evolved through the Middle Ages with the establishment of craft guilds that regulated training and work conditions. Traditionally, apprentices began their training as young boys, often around the age of fourteen, and the relationship was akin to a familial one, where apprentices lived and worked closely with their masters.

In modern times, apprenticeships continue to provide individuals, typically aged eighteen to twenty-four, with practical skills in various trades, from electrical work to plumbing. The U.S. Department of Labor oversees standards for these programs, ensuring that apprentices receive structured training, including hands-on experience and mentorship. Today’s apprenticeships emphasize adaptability and are increasingly inclusive, with more women and veterans entering fields previously dominated by men. As industries evolve, apprenticeship programs have also adapted, responding to emerging demands and shaping the future workforce. Overall, apprenticeships remain a vital pathway for individuals seeking to develop their skills and advance their careers in specific trades.

Full Article

Apprenticeship is training under a legal agreement. Apprenticeships may include training in the arts, a craft, or a trade. The legal agreement establishes the length of time of the apprenticeship and spells out the relationship between the master and the apprentice.

In some ancient societies, enslaved individuals were trained in skilled labor, but formal apprenticeship systems generally involved free youths under contract. Most began apprenticeships as young boys, usually no older than fourteen. Many famous Americans, including Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin, served apprenticeships. Many low-income families arranged apprenticeships for children they could not support. During the Middle Ages, craft guilds and trade unions controlled who would be trained, and they exerted great economic power.

Background

Apprenticeships began early in human history. The Code of Hammurabi, a collection of Babylonian laws dating to 1792–50 BCE, includes regulations on how a master craftsman should transfer skills to a young person learning the job, with the concept of apprenticeship resembling adopting new persons until they are capable of doing work that is needed, proven by a final test to demonstrate their proficiency. The Code also lists severe penalties for the apprentices (or adopted children) who abandon the master craftsman.   

Many of the earliest recorded apprenticeships involved enslaved individuals. Later in the Roman Empire, craftsmen organized societies and established standards.

In Europe, craftsmen established craft guilds by the thirteenth century. Master craftsmen controlled the guilds, which set standards of quality and methodology, as well as work conditions for the members. Aspiring craftsmen first worked as apprentices for about seven years; then, if successful, they were accepted into guilds. When they completed their training, many were required to produce a test piece, or masterpiece, as proof of their skill.

An apprenticeship was much like a familial relationship. The master craftsmen had their own businesses, where the assistants worked. Apprentices might live on the premises.

Guilds could become quite powerful. They controlled the trades and could prevent outsiders from joining or competing with them in an area, or charge fees to allow them to work. Guilds could become exclusive, for example, by only permitting sons of wealthy families or sons of members to earn apprenticeships. Many families had to reimburse shop owners for teaching children trade secrets.

In England, the government became concerned about the power wielded by guilds and tried to regulate apprenticeships with the Statute of Artificers of 1563. During the Middle Ages, the apprenticeship method of training was often employed for professions such as law. Educators also worked as student teachers before becoming full-fledged teachers, and farmers often took on apprentices to teach them agricultural skills.

Many of those who settled in the American colonies during the seventeenth century were indentured apprentices from England. Although the relevance of apprenticeship training initially declined in the New World because of industrialization, the availability of migrant skilled workers and the rise of formal education saw the format of apprenticeships eventually transform to enable competency-based learning.

During the Industrial Revolution, skilled workers were highly valued. Machinists and engineers were highly trained. Unskilled workers who had potential were often moved into better jobs and even apprenticeships. Trade unions, like craft guilds, were established to ensure the quality of the work and to steer people into jobs, thereby preventing non-union members from getting the work and learning many of the skills.

Mechanics’ Institutes, which developed in England, operated as educational institutions that provided technical instruction and lectures. The emphasis of these institutions was on specialized machine skills, and ambitious young men could gain the training they needed to advance.

Apprenticeships became less common in the early twentieth century with the development of assembly-line production. Skilled workers were less important, and workers often did not want to invest in years of training for the skilled occupations. The apprenticeships that were available changed significantly. Learnerships, which allowed novices to gain on-the-job training, became popular. In some industries, unskilled workers could move up to semiskilled work, and eventually skilled work, if they showed promise and were dedicated to learning.

In some countries, apprenticeships survived in certain fields, such as handicrafts. In Germany, students attended a vocational school during part of the day and worked in their chosen fields the rest of the workday. The French government established technical colleges to train skilled workers who could earn apprenticeships.

Apprenticeship in the Twenty-First Century

Modern apprenticeships resemble traditional agreements in some ways. While apprentices are not linked in almost familial relationships with masters, they do have agreements that stipulate the type of training they will receive, the hours and wages they will earn in each stage of training, and what they will receive at the successful completion of training, such as certification. The US Department of Labor (DOL) has set standards and policies for apprenticeship programs. These regulations cover registration and cancellation procedures, as well as oversight of apprenticeship programs. The federal framework established by the DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship within the Employment and Training Administration in 1937 initiated the evolution of apprenticeship programs.

In the first decades of the twenty-first century, apprenticeship programs underwent several changes. New apprenticeship programs were developed. For example, workers learned to create orthotic and prosthetic devices through a training program to meet rising demands for such devices. Increasing numbers of women entered fields traditionally dominated by men through apprenticeships. High schools and vocational and technical schools introduced young men and women to potential career paths. Community colleges also incorporated registered apprenticeship programs into associate degree and certificate pathways combining academic coursework with structured paid employment. Some programs encouraged veterans to learn trades and crafts through apprenticeships. Many apprenticeship programs sponsored formalized recruitment, retention, and support strategies designed to broaden access across multiple other underrepresented groups as well.

Between 2008 and 2021, the number of new apprentices increased by 82 percent. As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s workforce strategy, significant federal funding was invested in apprenticeship programs in the early and mid-2020s, including tax incentives that supported the development of apprenticeships in the clean energy industry. Registered Apprenticeship programs were developed in renewable energy fields, including solar installation, wind turbine technology, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Workforce provisions tied to semiconductor manufacturing initiatives encouraged the development of apprenticeship pathways in advanced manufacturing.

Modern apprenticeships generally involve adult participants. Registered apprentices learn skills such as bricklaying, drafting, electrical work, electronic repair, advanced manufacturing, and other construction trades from experts. In some industries, these experts are still referred to as masters, such as master plumbers. Other industries, such as cybersecurity and information technology, also offer apprenticeship programs. Candidates apply and are screened through entrance exams for dedication and aptitude before they begin work. Apprenticeship programs have also expanded into additional nontraditional sectors, including health-care occupations such as nursing assistants and medical assistants, software development, and artificial intelligence–related roles.

Because apprentices work closely with their instructors or mentors and are usually producing items soon after they begin apprenticeships, their work is inspected as they progress and the custom of producing a masterpiece is rarely required. In some specialized trades, apprentices (such as foundry casting patternmakers) may be required to complete independent work that is formally evaluated before certification. Successful patternmakers are awarded certificates of completion. Some industries have established competitions among apprentices, who may win cash prizes for completing what are essentially masterpieces.

Apprenticeships serve the industry by providing trained individuals who are able to work without supervision. They are able to adapt to changing needs because they have learned their craft thoroughly. Masters are also capable of supervising other workers or becoming project managers.

Although the processes of apprenticeships have changed, the benefits they provide continue to aid people seeking a craft or trade. Shifts in industry and society have affected apprenticeship programs, which have changed accordingly. Meanwhile, state governments have adopted tax incentives and competitive grants to encourage employer participation in apprenticeship programs.


Bibliography

“All Aboard the ApprenticeSHIP: Assessing the Changing Face of Registered Apprenticeships.” The White House, 20 Nov. 2024, bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/cea/written-materials/2024/11/20/all-aboard-the-apprenticeship-assessing-the-changing-face-of-registered-apprenticeships/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Apprenticeship Data and Statistics.” Apprenticeship.gov, U.S. Department of Labor, www.apprenticeship.gov/data-and-statistics. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Apprenticeship 101: Earn While You Learn.” Construct Your Future, www.constructyourfuture.com/apprenticeship-101-earn-while-you-learn/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Apprenticeships and Their Potential in the U.S.” Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, 2015, www.philadelphiafed.org/community-development/workforce-and-economic-development/apprenticeships-and-their-potential-in-the-us. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Code of Hammurabi.” The Avalon Project, Yale Law School, avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Dawson, Catherine. Apprenticeships: For Students, Parents and Job Seekers. Kogan Page, 2012.

Epstein, S. R., and Maarten Prak, editors. Guilds, Innovation and the European Economy, 1400–1800. Cambridge UP, 2010.

“History.” Apprenticelines, www.apprenticelines.org/history. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Jacoby, Daniel. “Apprenticeship in the United States.” Economic History Association, eh.net/encyclopedia/apprenticeship-in-the-united-states/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Jovinelly, Joann, and Jason Netelkos. The Crafts and Culture of a Medieval Guild. Rosen Publishing Group, 2006.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. State Policy Playbook to Advance Youth Apprenticeship. NGA, 5 July 2022, www.nga.org/publications/state-policy-playbook-to-advance-youth-apprenticeship/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Our History.” Apprenticeship.gov, U.S. Department of Labor, www.apprenticeship.gov/about-us/our-history. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Rosser, Gervase. The Art of Solidarity in the Middle Ages: Guilds in England 1250–1550. Oxford UP, 2015.

Seybolt, Robert Francis. Apprenticeship & Apprenticeship Education in Colonial New England & New York. Teachers College, Columbia University, 1917. Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/17018353/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Tschen-Emmons, James B. Artifacts from Medieval Europe. ABC-CLIO, 2015.

Full Article

Apprenticeship is training under a legal agreement. Apprenticeships may include training in the arts, a craft, or a trade. The legal agreement establishes the length of time of the apprenticeship and spells out the relationship between the master and the apprentice.

In some ancient societies, enslaved individuals were trained in skilled labor, but formal apprenticeship systems generally involved free youths under contract. Most began apprenticeships as young boys, usually no older than fourteen. Many famous Americans, including Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin, served apprenticeships. Many low-income families arranged apprenticeships for children they could not support. During the Middle Ages, craft guilds and trade unions controlled who would be trained, and they exerted great economic power.

Background

Apprenticeships began early in human history. The Code of Hammurabi, a collection of Babylonian laws dating to 1792–50 BCE, includes regulations on how a master craftsman should transfer skills to a young person learning the job, with the concept of apprenticeship resembling adopting new persons until they are capable of doing work that is needed, proven by a final test to demonstrate their proficiency. The Code also lists severe penalties for the apprentices (or adopted children) who abandon the master craftsman.   

Many of the earliest recorded apprenticeships involved enslaved individuals. Later in the Roman Empire, craftsmen organized societies and established standards.

In Europe, craftsmen established craft guilds by the thirteenth century. Master craftsmen controlled the guilds, which set standards of quality and methodology, as well as work conditions for the members. Aspiring craftsmen first worked as apprentices for about seven years; then, if successful, they were accepted into guilds. When they completed their training, many were required to produce a test piece, or masterpiece, as proof of their skill.

An apprenticeship was much like a familial relationship. The master craftsmen had their own businesses, where the assistants worked. Apprentices might live on the premises.

Guilds could become quite powerful. They controlled the trades and could prevent outsiders from joining or competing with them in an area, or charge fees to allow them to work. Guilds could become exclusive, for example, by only permitting sons of wealthy families or sons of members to earn apprenticeships. Many families had to reimburse shop owners for teaching children trade secrets.

In England, the government became concerned about the power wielded by guilds and tried to regulate apprenticeships with the Statute of Artificers of 1563. During the Middle Ages, the apprenticeship method of training was often employed for professions such as law. Educators also worked as student teachers before becoming full-fledged teachers, and farmers often took on apprentices to teach them agricultural skills.

Many of those who settled in the American colonies during the seventeenth century were indentured apprentices from England. Although the relevance of apprenticeship training initially declined in the New World because of industrialization, the availability of migrant skilled workers and the rise of formal education saw the format of apprenticeships eventually transform to enable competency-based learning.

During the Industrial Revolution, skilled workers were highly valued. Machinists and engineers were highly trained. Unskilled workers who had potential were often moved into better jobs and even apprenticeships. Trade unions, like craft guilds, were established to ensure the quality of the work and to steer people into jobs, thereby preventing non-union members from getting the work and learning many of the skills.

Mechanics’ Institutes, which developed in England, operated as educational institutions that provided technical instruction and lectures. The emphasis of these institutions was on specialized machine skills, and ambitious young men could gain the training they needed to advance.

Apprenticeships became less common in the early twentieth century with the development of assembly-line production. Skilled workers were less important, and workers often did not want to invest in years of training for the skilled occupations. The apprenticeships that were available changed significantly. Learnerships, which allowed novices to gain on-the-job training, became popular. In some industries, unskilled workers could move up to semiskilled work, and eventually skilled work, if they showed promise and were dedicated to learning.

In some countries, apprenticeships survived in certain fields, such as handicrafts. In Germany, students attended a vocational school during part of the day and worked in their chosen fields the rest of the workday. The French government established technical colleges to train skilled workers who could earn apprenticeships.

Apprenticeship in the Twenty-First Century

Modern apprenticeships resemble traditional agreements in some ways. While apprentices are not linked in almost familial relationships with masters, they do have agreements that stipulate the type of training they will receive, the hours and wages they will earn in each stage of training, and what they will receive at the successful completion of training, such as certification. The US Department of Labor (DOL) has set standards and policies for apprenticeship programs. These regulations cover registration and cancellation procedures, as well as oversight of apprenticeship programs. The federal framework established by the DOL’s Office of Apprenticeship within the Employment and Training Administration in 1937 initiated the evolution of apprenticeship programs.

In the first decades of the twenty-first century, apprenticeship programs underwent several changes. New apprenticeship programs were developed. For example, workers learned to create orthotic and prosthetic devices through a training program to meet rising demands for such devices. Increasing numbers of women entered fields traditionally dominated by men through apprenticeships. High schools and vocational and technical schools introduced young men and women to potential career paths. Community colleges also incorporated registered apprenticeship programs into associate degree and certificate pathways combining academic coursework with structured paid employment. Some programs encouraged veterans to learn trades and crafts through apprenticeships. Many apprenticeship programs sponsored formalized recruitment, retention, and support strategies designed to broaden access across multiple other underrepresented groups as well.

Between 2008 and 2021, the number of new apprentices increased by 82 percent. As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s workforce strategy, significant federal funding was invested in apprenticeship programs in the early and mid-2020s, including tax incentives that supported the development of apprenticeships in the clean energy industry. Registered Apprenticeship programs were developed in renewable energy fields, including solar installation, wind turbine technology, and electric vehicle infrastructure. Workforce provisions tied to semiconductor manufacturing initiatives encouraged the development of apprenticeship pathways in advanced manufacturing.

Modern apprenticeships generally involve adult participants. Registered apprentices learn skills such as bricklaying, drafting, electrical work, electronic repair, advanced manufacturing, and other construction trades from experts. In some industries, these experts are still referred to as masters, such as master plumbers. Other industries, such as cybersecurity and information technology, also offer apprenticeship programs. Candidates apply and are screened through entrance exams for dedication and aptitude before they begin work. Apprenticeship programs have also expanded into additional nontraditional sectors, including health-care occupations such as nursing assistants and medical assistants, software development, and artificial intelligence–related roles.

Because apprentices work closely with their instructors or mentors and are usually producing items soon after they begin apprenticeships, their work is inspected as they progress and the custom of producing a masterpiece is rarely required. In some specialized trades, apprentices (such as foundry casting patternmakers) may be required to complete independent work that is formally evaluated before certification. Successful patternmakers are awarded certificates of completion. Some industries have established competitions among apprentices, who may win cash prizes for completing what are essentially masterpieces.

Apprenticeships serve the industry by providing trained individuals who are able to work without supervision. They are able to adapt to changing needs because they have learned their craft thoroughly. Masters are also capable of supervising other workers or becoming project managers.

Although the processes of apprenticeships have changed, the benefits they provide continue to aid people seeking a craft or trade. Shifts in industry and society have affected apprenticeship programs, which have changed accordingly. Meanwhile, state governments have adopted tax incentives and competitive grants to encourage employer participation in apprenticeship programs.


Bibliography

“All Aboard the ApprenticeSHIP: Assessing the Changing Face of Registered Apprenticeships.” The White House, 20 Nov. 2024, bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/cea/written-materials/2024/11/20/all-aboard-the-apprenticeship-assessing-the-changing-face-of-registered-apprenticeships/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Apprenticeship Data and Statistics.” Apprenticeship.gov, U.S. Department of Labor, www.apprenticeship.gov/data-and-statistics. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Apprenticeship 101: Earn While You Learn.” Construct Your Future, www.constructyourfuture.com/apprenticeship-101-earn-while-you-learn/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Apprenticeships and Their Potential in the U.S.” Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, 2015, www.philadelphiafed.org/community-development/workforce-and-economic-development/apprenticeships-and-their-potential-in-the-us. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Code of Hammurabi.” The Avalon Project, Yale Law School, avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Dawson, Catherine. Apprenticeships: For Students, Parents and Job Seekers. Kogan Page, 2012.

Epstein, S. R., and Maarten Prak, editors. Guilds, Innovation and the European Economy, 1400–1800. Cambridge UP, 2010.

“History.” Apprenticelines, www.apprenticelines.org/history. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Jacoby, Daniel. “Apprenticeship in the United States.” Economic History Association, eh.net/encyclopedia/apprenticeship-in-the-united-states/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Jovinelly, Joann, and Jason Netelkos. The Crafts and Culture of a Medieval Guild. Rosen Publishing Group, 2006.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. State Policy Playbook to Advance Youth Apprenticeship. NGA, 5 July 2022, www.nga.org/publications/state-policy-playbook-to-advance-youth-apprenticeship/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

“Our History.” Apprenticeship.gov, U.S. Department of Labor, www.apprenticeship.gov/about-us/our-history. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Rosser, Gervase. The Art of Solidarity in the Middle Ages: Guilds in England 1250–1550. Oxford UP, 2015.

Seybolt, Robert Francis. Apprenticeship & Apprenticeship Education in Colonial New England & New York. Teachers College, Columbia University, 1917. Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/17018353/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

Tschen-Emmons, James B. Artifacts from Medieval Europe. ABC-CLIO, 2015.

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