May 08, 2025
In recognition of National Apprenticeship Day on April 30th, the Michigan Center for Data and Analytics released an updated Registered Apprenticeships in Michigan report. This month’s Michigan Works! Regional Update will apply a similar analysis of Registered Apprenticeships at the Michigan Works! level.
The Genesee Shiawassee Thumb (GST) area had the greatest number of active registered apprentices (3,840) in 2024 and represented 18.6 percent of active registered apprentices statewide (20,580). This was chiefly due to the large Construction laborers program in the region. The Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) region had the second largest share (13.1 percent), followed by West Michigan (11.9 percent) and Oakland County (10.8 percent).
Five Michigan Works! areas set records for new registered apprentices in 2024. These included the Southeast (540), Great Lakes Bay (290), Northwest (250), Berrien, Cass, Van Buren (190), and Region 7B (100) areas.
West Michigan had the greatest number of active Registered Apprenticeship programs among Michigan Works! areas with 315. This represents 26.9 percent of all active programs across the state. The next greatest share of active programs was Southeast (9.7 percent) and the Capital Area (7.8 percent).
The Construction and Manufacturing industry sectors typically account for most registered apprentices across the state. Because of this, these industries are typically called traditional Registered Apprenticeship industries. Other industries such as Educational services, Health care and social assistance, and Utilities are considered nontraditional. In 2024, traditional active apprentices accounted for 83.4 percent of all active registered apprentices statewide.
Construction was the dominant industry across half of the 16 Michigan Works! areas in 2024. GST had the greatest share of active registered apprentices in the industry at 95.0 percent. This was followed by the DESC area (91.2 percent) and Macomb/St. Clair (89.9 percent).
There were four regions where Manufacturing accounted for the majority of active registered apprentices. This was led by West Central (88.2 percent) and followed by Northeast Consortium (75.0 percent) and SEMCA (71.8 percent).
Nontraditional registered apprentices accounted for a majority of active registered apprentices in three regions. These regions included Region 7B (95.3 percent), Northwest (64.3 percent), and the Upper Peninsula (51.0 percent). Utilities, a nontraditional industry, accounted for nearly one-third of active registered apprentices within the Southwest region. However, traditional industries still made up the majority of active registered apprentices regionally.
There were 134 different occupations represented among active registered apprentices in 2024. Nearly 60 percent of active registered apprentices statewide were in five different occupations. These included: Electricians (19.4 percent); Construction laborers (17.2 percent); Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters (9.6 percent); Carpenters (8.7 percent); and Millwrights (4.5 percent).
These top statewide occupations represented the largest occupation by active registered apprentices in 12 of the 16 Michigan Works! areas. Of these 12 regions, Electricians was the top occupation in nine.
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians was the top occupation among active registered apprentices within Region 7B. This accounted for 100 percent of active registered apprentices across the state. Similarly, 99.8 percent of all Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators were in the Southeast area. Industrial machinery mechanics and Tool and die makers were the top occupations in West Central and Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, respectively.
The region with the greatest share of women active registered apprentices was Berrien, Cass, Van Buren at 27.8 percent. This was followed by the Upper Peninsula (26.8 percent) and the Capital Area (19.4 percent). Just 6.9 percent of GST’s 3,840 active registered apprentices were women in 2024.
SEMCA and the DESC region had the greatest share of active registered apprentices who were people of color at 28.6 percent and 24.3 percent, respectively. Oakland County had the next highest share at 20.6 percent.
Among veterans, Region 7B had a 15 percent share of active registered apprentices, and was the only region above 10 percent. Northwest had the next greatest share at 8.2 percent.
Youth (ages 16 to 24) represented 48.5 percent of active registered apprentices within the GST region. West Michigan (48.0 percent), Berrien, Cass, Van Buren (46.9 percent), and Great Lakes Bay (46.8 percent) had the next greatest shares. SEMCA was the only region under 20 percent, with 10.3 percent of active registered youth apprentices.
For 2022 Registered Apprenticeship completers, the median one-year-after-completion annual wage was $80,720. These completers also were also employed one year after at a rate of 93.9 percent.
At the Michigan Works! level, the Northeast and Northwest regions did not have enough observations for publication and were suppressed.
West Central was the only region with 100 percent of 2022 completers employed in Michigan one year after completion of their apprenticeship. SEMCA had the second highest rate at 97.2 percent. The DESC region had the lowest employment percentage at 85.5 percent. Region 7B was the only other region with a rate below 90 percent, at 89.7 percent. It is important to note that these are still favorable outcomes.
SEMCA had the highest median one-year-after wage at $167,140. This was due to the large presence of both Electrical power-line installers and repairers and Power distributors and dispatchers among regional completers in 2022. Macomb/St. Clair had the second greatest wage at $95,730 followed by the Southeast area at $92,670. Three regions had a median one-year-after wage less than $60,000, but still had wages that were greater than the statewide median wage ($48,300) for all occupations. These included Region 7B ($58,510), Berrien, Cass, Van Buren ($57,500), and the Upper Peninsula ($54,560).
Median One-Year-After Wages of 2022 Completers by Michigan Works! Area
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
For additional information on Registered Apprenticeship data in Michigan and at the regional level, please visit the Registered Apprenticeship Michigan Dashboard.
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