Construction Apprenticeships Will Fail to Meet Projected Needs, Exacerbating Housing Crisis

The construction industry in the United States has experienced a notable surge in activity, driven by infrastructure development and delayed housing construction. This growth in construction activity has further stressed an already insufficient construction workforce. Apprenticeships are increasingly viewed as a critical strategy for mitigating construction labor shortages and fostering long-term industry growth. Expanding construction apprenticeship opportunities has the potential to not only address workforce needs but also strengthen a debt-free pathway to the middle class.

In this paper, the authors analyze data on registered apprenticeship programs, current and anticipated demand for skilled labor in the construction industry, and other pathways into construction occupations. Although registered apprenticeship enrollment has doubled over the past decade, anticipated labor demand is more than double what current workforce development pathways are likely to provide. Alarmingly, one-third of construction apprenticeship programs (2,257 programs) had just one active apprentice in 2023, indicating limited capacity. Increasing capacity to host more apprentices is important, but it is likely to be insufficient: Forty percent of construction apprentices do not complete their apprenticeship programs. If the United States focuses on apprenticeships as the main strategy to meet labor demand without addressing capacity and noncompletion, the country will fail to meet the growing construction workforce demand.