Wisconsin Apprenticeship Programs Expand Into Healthcare, AI and Advanced Manufacturing

Wisconsin’s apprenticeship system is experiencing record participation while expanding beyond its traditional foundation in construction and the skilled trades.

The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development reported that 18,524 people participated in registered apprenticeships during 2025. These apprentices trained with more than 3,095 employers, marking the fourth consecutive year in which Wisconsin established a new participation record.

Electrical construction, plumbing, HVAC and manufacturing remain important parts of the system. However, some of Wisconsin’s newest apprenticeship opportunities are emerging in healthcare, education, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.

For Wisconsin residents, this expansion creates more opportunities to enter well-paying careers through a combination of paid employment and classroom instruction.

Wisconsin Reaches Another Apprenticeship Record

Registered apprenticeship is a structured form of postsecondary education. Apprentices are hired by participating employers, receive progressively increasing wages and learn most of their occupation through supervised work.

Related classroom instruction is typically provided by a Wisconsin technical college, an apprenticeship committee or another approved training provider.

Unlike traditional college students, registered apprentices earn wages while completing their education. Wisconsin also generally requires employers to compensate registered apprentices for required classroom instruction.

The state’s 18,524 registered apprentices in 2025 represented another record for Wisconsin’s 115-year-old apprenticeship system. Apprenticeships are currently available in approximately 200 occupations covering industries such as:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Utilities
• Transportation
• Healthcare
• Information technology
• Education
• Agriculture

Wisconsin’s Youth Apprenticeship program is also growing. During the 2024–25 school year, the program enrolled 11,344 high school students working with 7,447 employers. More than 99 percent of Wisconsin public school districts with a high school reportedly offer access to youth apprenticeship.

Healthcare Apprenticeships Are Expanding Rapidly

Healthcare has become one of Wisconsin’s most notable apprenticeship growth areas.

UW Health in Madison now offers apprenticeship or career-pathway opportunities across numerous healthcare professions, including:

UW Health’s programs allow participants to receive structured clinical training while continuing to earn a paycheck. In many cases, UW Health also covers the cost of the apprentice’s classroom education.

More than 1,000 apprentices have reportedly completed UW Health programs. The health system has used apprenticeships to develop existing employees, improve retention and fill positions that have traditionally been difficult to staff.

UW Health has also established WorkForward, an initiative designed to help healthcare systems and government agencies outside Wisconsin create similar workforce programs.

This could position Wisconsin as a national model for healthcare apprenticeships.

Wisconsin Introduces an MRI Technologist Apprenticeship

One of the state’s newest healthcare pathways is UW Health’s Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologist Apprenticeship.

MRI technologists operate specialized imaging equipment that helps physicians diagnose injuries and medical conditions. The new apprenticeship combines focused classroom education with supervised clinical experience.

The exact requirements depend on the particular MRI track. Certain positions may require applicants to already possess a radiologic-technologist credential, while other pathways may accept applicants who have completed specified college-level science courses.

The program is particularly significant because many healthcare apprenticeships have historically concentrated on entry-level support positions. MRI technology represents an expansion into more specialized and potentially higher-paying clinical work.

Educational-Assistant Apprenticeship Planned

Wisconsin is also preparing a two-year Educational Assistant Registered Apprenticeship.

The planned program will align with the Wisconsin Technical College System’s Foundations of Teacher Education associate degree. Participants would complete an associate degree carrying 60 transferable credits while receiving workplace experience.

Graduates could work as educational assistants or paraprofessionals. They could also transfer their credits and potentially continue into a teacher registered-apprenticeship program.

This pathway is intended to help Wisconsin schools recruit and develop employees while creating a more affordable route into teaching.

New Funding Targets Manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence

Wisconsin secured $7.3 million in federal funding for the Wisconsin Training for Resilient Advanced Industry Needs initiative, known as WisTRAIN.

The employer-driven grant program is designed to support training in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies, including:

Eligible training may include registered apprenticeships and certified pre-apprenticeships.

This is important because Wisconsin manufacturers increasingly need workers who understand both mechanical equipment and computerized control systems. Modern industrial technicians may work with programmable logic controllers, sensors, robotics, motor controls and data-driven maintenance systems.

WisTRAIN could help employers establish new training programs or expand existing ones. The availability of specific apprenticeships will depend on which employers receive funding and decide to participate.

Electrical Apprenticeships Remain a Leading Opportunity

Despite the expansion into new industries, electrical apprenticeship remains one of Wisconsin’s strongest career paths.

Construction electricians typically complete approximately five years of training, including thousands of hours of supervised employment and paid classroom instruction. Wisconsin offers union programs through NECA–IBEW apprenticeship committees and nonunion programs involving ABC of Wisconsin employers.

Electrical training is becoming increasingly relevant as Wisconsin invests in:

• Solar power
• Battery-storage systems
• Building automation
• Data centers
• Electric vehicles
• Industrial controls
• Utility infrastructure

Related opportunities are also available in line work, instrumentation, building controls, industrial maintenance and renewable-energy installation.

Plumbing, HVAC, steamfitting, sprinkler fitting, sheet-metal work and heavy-equipment operation continue to offer strong apprenticeship pathways as well.

Apprentices Must Usually Secure an Employer First

People interested in Wisconsin registered apprenticeships should understand that employment is normally the first requirement.

An individual generally cannot enroll in apprenticeship classes independently and then expect the technical college to arrange employment. Instead, the applicant must usually be hired by an approved employer or selected by a joint apprenticeship committee.

The employer or committee then sponsors the apprentice and coordinates the required classroom instruction.

Some employers initially hire candidates into laborer or helper positions and consider dependable employees for registered apprenticeship after evaluating their work.

Wisconsin’s Apprenticeship Outlook

Wisconsin’s apprenticeship system is no longer limited to people entering conventional construction trades.

Electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians remain central to the system, but apprenticeships are now helping train nurses, MRI technologists, surgical technicians, teachers and advanced-manufacturing workers.

That expansion gives Wisconsin residents more ways to obtain occupational credentials without leaving the workforce or assuming as much educational debt.

It also creates an important tool for employers that cannot find enough qualified workers through conventional recruitment.

Apprenticeship programs, eligibility requirements and application periods can change. Prospective applicants should confirm current information directly with the employer, apprenticeship committee or Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development.