Pennsylvania: State of the State

State of PA ESAC 2025 Conference

Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO), Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, Details

 

Goals:

1) Increase the number of Registered Apprenticeship (RA) opportunities in Pennsylvania.

2) Expand apprenticeship into new sector occupations and serve underrepresented populations.

3) Raise awareness about the benefits of Registered Apprenticeship and how to access them.

4) Advocate for apprenticeship as a premier solution to meeting workforce needs.

5) Provide programs the support and resources needed to align with PA standards and practices.

6) Assist existing apprenticeship programs and ensure compliance with all regulations, standards,

and guidance.

7) Ensure apprenticeship opportunities are available to under-represented communities across

the Commonwealth.

 

Staffing and Division Creation:

 

In the first quarter of 2024, the Pre-Apprenticeship Division grew from an office of one to an office of

three with the addition of two new Pre-Apprenticeship & Training Representatives. While learning the

existing process for registering pre-apprenticeship programs and the requirements for offering

sponsors free technical assistance, the new staff were also integral in updating internal process and

corresponding documentation. Today the ATO’s staffing contingent includes 21 fulltime permanent

positions in four distinct divisions including the Administrative Division; Field Division; Pre-apprenticeship Division; and the Grants, Statistical Development, and Compliance Division. In 2025,

the ATO plans to hire two additional Grants, Statistical Development, and Special Project Specialists

and potentially additional administrative/management staff.

 

2024 Accomplishments:

• A Staffing Contingent Increase
• Continued Concentration on Apprenticeship Integration into the Workforce System
• Cross-Agency Collaboration
• New Sector Apprenticeship Growth
• Job Seeker Liaison Outreach
• National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) Success
• PA Registered Apprenticeship and Pre-Apprenticeship Awards

 

2025 Priorities:

• Strategic Work with State Agencies
• Focus on Pre-RA Sponsor Reporting and Participant Matriculation
• Ecosystem Building and Continued Work on Sector Strategies
• Enhanced Departmental Communication
• Commonwealth Data System of Record (CWDS) Pre-Apprenticeship Pathway Buildout
• Continued Integration into the Workforce
• Continued Focus on Teacher Apprenticeships

 

Additional details related to everything in this report can be found by accessing the ATO 2024 Progress Report and the Pennsylvania Apprenticeship and Training Council (PATC) 2024 Chairperson’s Report

 

2024 Numbers

2024 Registered Apprenticeship Highlights

• New Occupation Specific Programs Presented to Council for Registration: 48 (26% increase)
• New Occupation Specific Programs Registered: 42 (28% increase)
• New Apprentices Registered: 6,021 (4% increase)
• Completed Apprentices: 4,262 (30% increase)
• Total Active Apprentices During Year: 20,100 (4% decrease)
• Total Unique Program Sponsors: 886 (1% increase)
• Total Active Programs at Year End: 1,558 (steady)*

 

2024 Pre-Apprenticeship Highlights

• 124 Total Registered Pre-Apprenticeship Programs
• 14 Pre-Apprenticeship Programs registered in 2024
• 61 Programs affiliated with Career & Technical Education (CTE)
• 63 Programs serving High School Youth
• 4,561 Active Pre-Apprentices at end 2024
• 4,552 Pre-Apprentices Completed during second half of year
• 25+ Trainings and Events attended by ATO’s Pre-RA Division

 

Interesting PA Apprenticeship Statistics & Trends

• The number of apprenticeship programs registered annually has steadily increased from 18 in 2022, 32 in 2023, and 42 in 2024. This is an increase of 133% from the 18 programs registered in 2022 to the 42 programs registered in 2024.
• New apprentices registered grew from 4,693 in 2022 to 5,766 in 2023, and 6,021 in 2024 – a 28.3% increase from 2022 to 2024.
• Based on data from the 2023 and 2024 federal fiscal year report and compared to other states in our region (Federal Apprenticeship Region 2: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) PA leads in the number of active apprentices, new apprentices, and apprenticeship completers.
• In Federal Fiscal Year 2024, Pennsylvania was 3rd In the U.S. for Apprentices Completed, 11th for Active Apprentices, and 10th for number of New Registered Apprentices.
• The average journeyworker wage for the top 20 apprenticed occupations was $24.39.
• The number of new sector apprenticeship programs is growing fast. For example, in 2024, the number of healthcare programs increased by 15%, Technology programs increased by 8.6%, Agriculture Programs increased by 75%, Education programs increased by 30.7%, Transportation programs increased by 6%, and Hospitality and Tourism programs increased by 26%.
• Fourteen occupations were registered for the first time in Pennsylvania in 2024. Ten of those occupations were registered for the first time in the nation.
• Apprentices in new sectors continued to grow in 2024. The number of new agricultural apprentices increased 6.6%, new education apprentices increased by 16.4%, new technology apprentices increased by 35%, new transportation apprentices increased ty 160%, and new hospitality and tourism apprentices increased by 62.5%.
• The number of female apprentices continues to grow from 7.1% of all apprentices in 2022, 10.4% in 2023, and 14.3% of all apprentices in 2024.
• There were 14 new Pre-Apprenticeship programs registered in 2024, a 6% increase from 2023 to 2024.
• The manufacturing sector led the way with 36% of 2024 registered pre-apprenticeship program additions. Pre-Apprenticeship programs in the Technology sector also increased by 38% in 2024.

 

 

PA Apprenticeship Grant Initiatives:

 

The ATO managed existing apprenticeship grants and released new ones over the past year. In 2024,

$17,640,137 was made available to support apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship through grant

availability notices and grant award releases. Since 2020, $25,290,798 in grants has been made

available to support apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship expansion in the Commonwealth. ATRs

have supported and will continue to support grantees with building and expansion of apprenticeship

programs with its current grants and others to come in 2025.

 

Grants Overview 2024

• Total Active Apprenticeship Grants 18 (10 Previously Active / 8 New)
• Total Grant Awardees for Active Grants 114 (86 Previously Awarded / 28 New)
• Total Active Grant Funding $25,290,798
• Total New Grant Funding Released $17,640,137
• Total Grant Funding Managed $42,930,935

 

Grant Outcomes of All Active Grants

 

RAPs Created 47	RAPs Expanded 91	RAPs Provided TA 734	Apprentices Served 1,447
Pre-RAPs Created 43	Pre-RAPS Expanded 75	Pre-RAPs Provided TA 392	Pre-Apprentices Served 1,515
Programs Created 90	Programs Expanded 166	Programs Provided TA 1,126	Participants Served 2,962