Page 1 GAO-25-107040 Apprenticeship
Many workers look to develop skills while maintaining self-sufficiency and meaningful
employment. Some workers accomplish this through earn-and-learn opportunities,
which provide practical experience that can help them gain needed skills to progress
in their careers. For example, Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP) are
structured earn-and-learn opportunities that combine a mix of on-the-job training,
mentorship, and classroom-based instruction as part of employment. RAPs can
benefit employers in filling gaps for workers in a wide range of industries, such as
construction, shipbuilding, aviation mechanics, and healthcare.
We were asked to examine how specific federal programs support earn-and-learn
opportunities such as apprenticeship, how these federal programs coordinate and
target industries with projected growth, and the benefits and challenges associated
with apprenticeship and other earn-and-learn opportunities. This report focuses on
earn-and-learn opportunities that generally include paid on-the-job occupational
training and are intended to lead to career advancement, such as higher wages, a
certification, or a more senior position. Earn-and-learn opportunities may also be
referred to by terms such as work-based learning, career-connected learning,
apprenticeship, internship, or work and learn.
Several federal agencies, including the Department of Labor (DOL), administer
programs that can support earn-and-learn opportunities. This report describes how
these programs help jobseekers find employment in high-growth and high-wage
occupations.
• We identified at least 26 programs at five federal agencies—the Departments
of Commerce, Defense (DOD), Education, Labor (DOL), and Veterans Affairs
(VA)—that could include support for earn-and-learn opportunities, even if that
support is not their primary purpose. Many of these programs target services
to certain populations, such as veterans, youth, or individuals with disabilities.
• We found that RAP participants were generally in high-growth and high-wage
occupations. Specifically, of the 10 most common RAP occupations in fiscal
year 2024, six were projected to grow faster than the average occupation by
2033, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. In addition, BLS
data show that nine of these occupations paid above the median wage.
• Earn-and-learn opportunities may lead to benefits for participants and
employers. DOL and BLS report that as of 2023, RAP completers earned
average annual wages upon completion of their program higher than those of
associate’s degree holders. In addition, studies we reviewed report that
employers may receive a positive return on investment from RAPs.
• Barriers to expansion of earn-and-learn opportunities, including RAPs,
include limited awareness of these options among jobseekers and
employers, as well as concerns among employers about administrative
U.S. Government Accountability Office
-and-Learn Opportunities
Can Benefit Workers and Employers
-25-107040
Report to Congressional Requesters
28, 2025
