May 08, 2025
The Michigan Center for Data and Analytics recently released the Registered Apprenticeships in Michigan - 2025 Report. This report analyzes statewide and Prosperity Region trends, demographics, employment outcomes, and completion rates of Registered Apprenticeships. This article will highlight statewide trends and employment outcomes from the full report.
For more information on Registered Apprenticeships at the Michigan Works! level, please read this month’s Michigan Works! Regional Update.
There were a record 20,600 active registered apprentices in Michigan in 2024. This was accompanied by a record 8,400 new registered apprentices. Completers ticked down slightly in 2024 following decreases in new registered apprentices during the COVID-19 pandemic, but will be expected to increase as new registered apprentices complete their programs.
Construction and Manufacturing, considered traditional Registered Apprenticeship industries, had the largest share of active registered apprentices at 64.5 percent and 18.1 percent, respectively. Nontraditional industries accounted for 16.6 percent of active registered apprentices in 2024 across Michigan and include sectors such as Educational services, Health care and social assistance, and Utilities. Representation of nontraditional industries has increased significantly since 2017. In 2024, these sectors were represented by 26.7 percent of all new registered apprentices.
In 2024, just under 2,200 active registered apprentices were women, accounting for 10.5 percent of the statewide total. Health care and social assistance had the largest share of women apprentices at 72.4 percent, followed by Professional, scientific, and technical services (48.1 percent) and Educational services (43.5 percent).
Just under 3,000 active registered apprentices in Michigan were people of color (14.4 percent) in 2024. People of color made up 28.9 percent of active registered apprentices within Health care and social assistance and 24.6 percent of Educational services.
Michigan had just over 1,100 active registered apprentices who were veterans (5.4 percent of all active apprentices) in 2024. While most veterans were in Construction, they accounted for just 4.6 percent of all active registered apprentices within the industry in 2024. Manufacturing had a slightly larger share at 6.8 percent. Utilities and Transportation and warehousing had much greater shares at 12.3 percent and 14.9 percent, respectively.
Those ages 16 to 24 accounted for more than 8,300 active registered apprentices in 2024, or 40.5 percent of all active registered apprentices across the state. Just under half of all active registered apprentices in Construction were ages 16 to 24. Meanwhile, youth accounted for just 17.4 percent of Manufacturing registered apprentices.
New Registered Apprentices and Completers by Year in Michigan, 2008–2024
Source: Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System (RAPIDS), Office of Apprenticeship, U.S. Department of Labor
Those who completed a Registered Apprenticeship in 2022 had favorable employment outcomes. Nearly 94 percent of completers in 2022 were employed one year after finishing their program. These completers also had a median one-year-after wage of $80,720. This was significantly greater than the statewide median wage in Michigan in 2024 of $48,300.
Among industries, registered apprentices in Utilities programs had the largest median one-year-after wage of $193,860. Registered apprentices in this industry typically work as Electrical power-line installers and repairers or Power distributors and dispatchers. Construction and Manufacturing registered apprenticeship completers had the next largest median one-year-after wages at $82,110 and $78,190, respectively.
Women completers in 2022 had an employment rate of 91.6 percent compared to 94.0 percent for men. The median one-year-after wages between the groups also varied significantly, with men earning $82,400 compared to $46,370 for women.
People of color also had a lower employment rate (89.8 percent) compared to white completers (94.5 percent). However, the median one-year-after wage for the group ($82,450) was slightly greater compared to white completers ($82,190).
Similarly, veterans had a lower employment rate (92.5 percent) compared to nonveterans (93.9 percent). Veterans had a marginally higher median one-year-after wage ($83,720) than nonveterans ($81,770).
There were slight differences in employment outcomes between youth and non-youth. Both groups had an employment rate of 93.9 percent, matching the overall employment rate for all completers in 2022. Non-youth had a median one-year-after wage of $80,820, slightly greater than the $80,340 observed by youth completers.
Median One-Year-After Wages of 2022 Completers by Industry in Michigan
Source: Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Data System (RAPIDS), Office of Apprenticeship, U.S. Department of Labor; Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
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