Union Apprenticeships Rival Four-Year Degrees, Says New Study
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
A new study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute found that a union apprenticeship may be a better ticket to the middle class than a traditional four-year degree.
"College is a great option for some, but it's not the only path to a family-sustaining career, nor is it necessarily the best," said International President Lonnie R. Stephenson. "For a lot of people, a union apprenticeship is the smarter, more fulfilling way to go — and it doesn't come with thousands of dollars in student loans."
The study analyzed 10 years of data from the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement, which is released by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Census Bureau. Among its findings was that, on average, graduates of joint labor-management, or union, apprenticeship programs in the construction industry can achieve near wage and benefits parity with other types of workers with four-year college degrees.