The supply of U.S. construction workers is currently not meeting the expected demand, so apprenticeship programs must improve and expand—or the country’s infrastructure, manufacturing and housing construction goals will fall short.

To meet the projected 501,000 annual construction job openings over the next year, the industry would need to capture half of all high school graduates intending to work to meet this demand, “which is unrealistic,” according to a November 2024 report by Rand, a research organization based in Santa Monica, Calif.

Immigrants are a significant potential source of new construction workers, though current immigration policy does not give preference to construction occupations for visa or residency purposes, the authors wrote.

The United States is currently betting that registered apprenticeship programs (RAPs) will be the main recruitment driver, according to the report. Indeed, the federal government this year allocated $244 million dollars to expand RAPs, making it the largest federal investment in such programs to date.

“Although registered apprenticeship enrollment has doubled over the past decade, anticipated labor demand is more than double what current apprenticeships—in combination with other workforce development pathways—can provide,” the authors wrote. “A policy strategy that relies on apprenticeship as a key contributor to the construction workforce would necessitate an increase in the United States’ apprenticeship capacity and improvements in the completion rate to better utilize that capacity.”

National capacity could be bolstered by creating more programs, including those for other construction occupations; increasing the capacity of existing programs; and addressing state apprenticeship environments, including overly restrictive apprenticeship regulations and workforce infrastructure that currently is not conducive to apprenticeship, according to the report.

“Utilization of apprenticeship is likely influenced by both state regulatory climate and alternative sources of construction workers,” the authors wrote. For example, “it is possible that the stronger union relationships in the Midwest provide more infrastructure for apprenticeship at scale.”

The number of enrollees within existing apprenticeship programs should also be boosted, according to the report. While the number of RAPs in construction has grown by almost 60% in the past decade, to more than 6,800 in 2023, the typical construction apprenticeship program is very small, according to the report. In fact, last year there were 2,257 programs with only one active construction apprentice.

Moreover, a concerning percentage of enrollees are quitting early. Roughly 60% of apprentices complete their apprenticeship program, and completion rates are notably lower for women, multiracial and non-Hispanic Black apprentices. Last year, only 31,327 apprentices completed a construction apprenticeship program, compared with 219,828 apprentices who were enrolled in multiyear programs.

“Many of the strategies that work in community colleges can help support apprentices,” the authors wrote. “For example … providing specialized support services for apprentices, such as assigning effective mentors who help navigate the work environment and reducing or eliminating the program requirement to have access to a car, has been successful in improving youth retention in programs.”

During the initial screening process, apprenticeship program managers should also make sure they are providing candidates with more information about the realities of apprenticeship, including the wage schedule, the physicality of the job, the need to travel to work sites and the extended hours, which might improve the alignment of expectations. As it stands now, half of those who fail to complete the program drop out within the first six months, suggesting that “misperceptions about the program or the suitability of candidates might play a role in noncompletion.”

“If the United States focuses on apprenticeship as the main vehicle to meet labor demand without addressing capacity and noncompletion, the country will fail to meet the growing construction workforce demand,” the authors wrote. “Likewise, if non-apprenticeship pathways do not receive sufficient attention and investment and apprenticeship is unable to fill in the gaps, labor shortages will continue.”

Workforce constraints will delay national investments in the country’s infrastructure, including energy transition and strategic onshoring efforts, according to the report.

“Whether through expanding apprenticeship or through other workforce pathways, the United States must first rebuild its construction workforce in order to rebuild the country,” the authors wrote.

Header image courtesy of SELCAT.