A growing number of work-based learning programs and apprenticeships are seeing an upswing in interest in Connecticut.
From 2020 to 2021, the Connecticut technical education system said participation in work-based learning programs — where students work part-time for school credit and pay — rose by 43% to more than 1,000 students across the system’s 17 schools. That far exceeded the department’s annual goal of 10% to 20% growth, according to Patricia King, who supervises the program.
Registered apprenticeships, which are one- to four-year on-the-job training programs offered by employers and trade unions, have also made gains in recent years.
According to the state labor department, there were almost 300 more companies employing apprentices in 2022 than there were in 2013. The number of apprentices fluctuated over that time period but has remained above 6,000 for the last six years — up from 4,618 in 2013.
Read more: More students, companies are pursuing apprenticeships in CT