Key Highlights
Challenges
To be successful, apprenticeship programs in rural areas typically need an anchor institution like a local economic development agency or community college. Participants in rural areas face barriers that are both educational (basic skills in math, literacy, and technology) and financial. They often need help with essentials such as rent, child care, elder care, food, travel expenses, tools, uniforms, and equipment — as well as wages during the training experience. Programs also struggle to recruit and retain women, people of color, and those with disabilities.
In fact, the biggest challenge for such programs is adequate funding for the costs beyond the wages of the employees. Many employers are reluctant to cover the costs of intermediaries and related instruction for apprenticeship programs. State and federal support is key.
Opportunities
Especially in rural areas, where educational and job opportunities can be limited, apprenticeships provide a vital pathway to stable, well-paying careers.
Rural LISC brought together three regional collaboratives in the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta to develop apprenticeship programs. Each collaborative included stakeholders from industry, the workforce, higher education, and community partners.
The majority of the resulting apprenticeships were in skilled trades and manufacturing. However, one innovative program in Mississippi trained agricultural pilots (such as crop dusters) and fire protection pilots. Every participant in the aviation program was offered a job after completing the training. These jobs came with significant raises: annual earnings ranged from approximately $100,000 to $175,000.
Building on their experience, the collaboratives launched an Apprenticeship Toolkit tailored to the rural experience so that other areas could explore starting similar programs.
Next Steps
- Rural LISC is expanding the sectors in which apprenticeships will be offered and revising its toolkit to reflect lessons learned.
Download
About the Author
Julianne Dunn
Julianne Dunn is the Senior Program Officer on the Workforce + Financial Prosperity team at Rural LISC. Her portfolio includes Financial Opportunity Centers, small business, and rural Safety & Justice programs. Since joining Rural LISC she has also managed the Rural Works program, a workforce development initiative that leverages the momentum of rural communities to reimagine and redevelop the workforce ecosystems that impact their communities. Dunn has a BA in political science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, an MPH from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Public Health, and an MPP from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. She currently lives in Kansas City, Kansas.