One of the primary benefits of apprenticeship programs is that they allow large numbers of individuals to enter into professions that they may not otherwise have access to. People without the financial resources for secondary education can develop skills that increase their earning potential. Individuals may enter these programs and be prepared to work directly after high school. Furthermore, there are benefits for the employers, such as developing a highly functional workforce and having the efforts repaid with loyalty.
People without adequate resources to pursue secondary education can greatly benefit from apprenticeship programs. Taking advantage of these opportunities can allow them to learn skills that may increase their earning potential above what it would be if they were to take unskilled jobs. Many apprenticeship programs offer certification that is widely recognized. This means that, after completion of a program, an individual can move to an area where his skills are in higher demand and the wages are complementary.
Many apprenticeship programs accept teenagers. This allows those who do not complete their education to develop skills that may keep them from living in poverty. It is also beneficial to those who plan to finish their education but who want to have valuable skills to begin working immediately after graduating from high school.
Apprenticeship programs are a benefit to society because they produce a productive and skilled workforce as work is being done. In some places, there is a severe skills shortage. Even if individuals were able to develop the needed skills through formal education, doing so could take a significant amount of time. This could have wide range of effects on development and the economy because during the educational period there would be a lack of laborers. With an apprenticeship, however, even though an apprentice is a student of sorts, he can still be productive while learning.
Employers can benefit from apprenticeship programs because formal education alone is sometime inadequate. It is common to find that individuals go to school and receive certificates or degrees, but when they arrive on the job they are ill prepared for their duties. Allowing individuals to be trained on the job and under the tutelage of people who are currently engaged in a certain field of work commonly allows employers to develop a more efficient and functional workforce.
Apprenticeship programs provide a number of other benefits for employers. One of them is a high employee retention rate. Individuals who are trained on the job commonly display a significant amount of loyalty to the companies that provided them with their skills. In some places there are also tax benefits for employers who participate in apprenticeship programs, providing even greater benefits.