Urban Institute Senior Policy Program Manager Zachary Boren joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the Institute’s Union-Based Apprenticeships for Young People report, which found that graduating apprentices earn wages comparable to college graduates.
Based on U.S. Department of Labor data, the Urban Institute report found that on average, union journeymen earn $34 per hour upon completing their apprenticeships, compared to $22 per hour for their non-union counterparts, Boren said.
He detailed the report’s findings and outlined several barriers to apprenticeship, including the cost of liability insurance and the challenges of finding young people who can pass a drug test. Boren also talked about the need to reform the National Apprenticeship Act, which passed in 1937.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about the report.