State incentives support US apprenticeship growth

Apprenticeships continue to grow across the US. The website Apprenticeship.gov reports there are over 680,000 apprentices in FY2025, a nearly 90% increase since 2014. 

State efforts to support apprenticeships are also expanding. In 2018, we identified nine states with incentive programs designed to encourage apprenticeships. Today, we found 19 states offering 22 tax credits or other types of incentive for apprenticeships.* 

• Alabama Apprenticeship Credit
• Arkansas Apprenticeship Program
• Connecticut Apprenticeship Funding Program
• Connecticut Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit in Manufacturing, Plastics, Plastics-Related or Construction Trades
• Illinois Works Jobs Program Act
• Iowa Apprenticeship Program
• Kansas Apprenticeship Tax Credit
• Louisiana Apprenticeship Tax Credit
• Maine Apprenticeship Program
• Maryland Registered Apprenticeship Tax Credit
• Massachusetts High School Apprenticeship Challenge
• Massachusetts Registered Apprentice Tax Credit
• Montana Tax Credit for Apprenticeship Sponsors
• New Jersey Pre-Apprenticeship in Career Education Program
• New York Empire State Apprenticeship Tax Credit
• North Dakota Operation Intern
• Pennsylvania Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program
• Rhode Island Employer’s Apprenticeship Tax Credit
• Rhode Island Non-Traditional Apprenticeship Incentive
• South Carolina Apprenticeship Credit
• West Virginia Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit
• Wyoming Apprenticeship Training Grants

With National Apprenticeship Week starting November 17, it’s a great time to catch up on the incentives that are available. We also encourage you to see what researchers are saying about their effectiveness.  

Economic Impact of Tax Incentive Programs, Empire State Apprenticeship Tax Credit, p. 181. Prepared by PFM for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, 2023

State Incentives to Promote and Support Apprenticeship. Takeaways from Eight States. Urban Institute, August 2023

* Source: C2ER State Incentives Database

Photo Credit: ABC15 Arizona, October 15, 2024