Across the country, states are recognizing registered and youth apprenticeship programs as essential to workforce development, and are leveraging state legislative policy and governors’ executive orders to continue strengthening and expanding their systems. In 2025, policymakers focused on bolstering state apprenticeship infrastructure, increasing funding and incentives, expanding outreach, and aligning programs with high-demand industries.
Below, we highlight examples of legislative actions across prominent apprenticeship policy themes in 2025, and call out specific actions that elevate or improve access to youth apprenticeships. For a full list of policies enacted in 2025 impacting youth apprenticeship, visit this tracker.
Creating and Expanding State Apprenticeship Structures
According to the US Department of Labor, over half of states have their own State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA), which is recognized by and acts on behalf of the federal government to register, oversee, and provide technical assistance to apprenticeship programs; in 2025, Arkansas and Nebraska joined this list. Through S.B. 390, Arkansas created its own SAA within the Office of Skills Development to oversee apprenticeships, develop a nationally-recognized apprenticeship completion credential, and allocate state funds to support apprenticeship programs. Similarly, Nebraska Executive Order 15 created the Office of Registered Apprenticeship within the state Department of Labor to act as the state’s coordinating body for registered apprenticeship programs.
While some states created SAA infrastructures, others strengthened existing ones. Maryland S.B. 431 amended several programs and duties in its SAA, including establishing the Maryland Office of Registered Apprenticeship Development to scale programs, establishing the Registered Apprenticeship Qualified Intermediary Program to increase awareness, and establishing the Registered Apprenticeship Development Advisory Board to develop programs and conduct evaluations. Elsewhere, Texas H.B. 3260 changed the certification process for apprenticeships so that the programs must align with the regulations of the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), further establishing TWC as the SAA.
Supporting the Expansion of Apprenticeships
With apprenticeships increasingly seen as a viable option for workforce preparation, states have prioritized apprenticeship awareness and outreach.
Growing Youth Apprenticeships
In Executive Order 1, Delaware established a working group to promote the expansion of youth apprenticeships, focusing on key issues such as expanding work-based learning and encouraging private sector partners. Similarly, Missouri Executive Order 16 directed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to engage with relevant stakeholders to improve CTE programs by promoting youth apprenticeships in both K-12 and postsecondary settings, among other responsibilities.
Some states enabled apprenticeships to count toward educational requirements, further connecting the education and apprenticeship systems. In Illinois, H.B. 2802 amended the school code to allow supervised career development experiences, including youth apprenticeships, to count toward daily attendance. Maine conducted a similar effort through L.D. 1389, which established the Building Opportunity Through Out-of-School Time Program to expand out-of-school programming for children between the ages of 5 and 13, with career exploration and apprenticeships as allowable activities under the program.
With persistent challenges connecting institutions and industry, states also facilitated employer access to learners through policy. Hawai’i H.B. 430 facilitated connectivity between Registered Apprenticeship program sponsors and educational institutions by allowing the sponsors to enter into contracts with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide internships to high school and college learners, as well as recent graduates. Eligible employers will be responsible for providing on-site work experience and mentorship for on-the-job guidance, developing a training plan, and providing wages.
Incentives and Funding Allocations
While apprenticeships are increasingly sought after as a go-to means to meet workforce needs, the cost of hiring apprentices and running an apprenticeship program often deters employers from engaging. Georgia and Louisiana sought to resolve this issue, offering financial support to employers who hire apprentices. Georgia S.B 180 now allows apprenticeship sponsors to be eligible to receive funding and financial awards per apprentice after the completion of a contract. Similarly, Louisiana H.B. 533 incentivized employers to hire apprentices through a work-based learning tax credit. Under this law, Louisiana also created an employer tax credit that allows employers to earn $2.50 per hour of employment for each eligible apprentice who has worked for at least 100 hours, capped at $2,500 per person.
In addition to incentives, states also redistributed apprenticeship funding allocations in support of program implementation. Florida H.B. 681 allowed apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship providers to enter into a contract with local educational agencies to equitably split apprenticeship funding by the responsibilities that each party holds, with no more than 10% allocated to the LEA if they do not provide classroom space, technical instruction, or on-the-job training services for the program.
Funding Youth Apprenticeship
Maine L.D. 1117 amended apprenticeship funding distributions and required 51% of total grants to support certified pre-apprenticeship programs that have demonstrated successful outcomes by individuals from historically marginalized communities.
Apprenticeships in High-Demand Fields
To meet the labor demands of their state, policymakers have also leveraged policy to support the establishment of apprenticeship programs that support sector-specific workforce needs. In H.B. 1585, Oklahoma established new training guidelines for pharmacy technicians focused on youth apprenticeships and education programs, allowing individuals to complete Phase II of the pharmacy technician training without being employed by a pharmacy starting at the age of 17. In Nevada, S.B. 460 created the Nevada Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Support Account and an accompanied support program to award grants to apprenticeship sponsors for wrap-around services for apprentices. Elsewhere, Texas H.B. 2768 mandated Texas state agencies to collaborate with public junior colleges or technical institutions to offer an Information Technology Apprenticeship Credential to prepare participants for junior or senior-level IT roles.
States are increasingly turning to apprenticeships as a strategy to close workforce gaps, strengthen career pathways, and advance economic mobility. With policies that strengthen apprenticeship systems, expanded youth participation, and targeted high-demand industries such as healthcare, education, and information technology, states are leveraging apprenticeships to meet their unique workforce priorities, a trend we anticipate to continue.
Advance CTE and ACTE’s policy tracking efforts culminate in the annual release of a report that offers insights on CTE policy activities observed in the previous year. The most recent iteration, the State Policies Impacting CTE: 2025 Year in Review report, offers key policy trends, top categories, and examples from various states. Click here to access other state policy resources.
