Inland Empire Leads California in Training Apprentices According to Latest Report; Region’s 13,262 Active Apprentices Represent 14.2% of all Apprentices Statewide

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Building and Construction Trades, Firefighting, and Personal Services Lead Inland Empire Industries Creating Apprenticeship Paths to Good-Paying Jobs

According to the Inland Empire/Desert Center of Excellence for Labor Market Information (COE), the Inland Empire, comprised of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, has 13,626 active apprentices as of September 2024, adding that the Inland Empire is training a higher share of apprentices than their share of workers in California. While the Inland Empire labor force accounts for 11.2% of all California workers, the region’s 13,262 active apprentices represent 14.2% of all apprentices in California.

The benefits to workers and businesses is immense. Registered apprenticeships are industry-driven career pathway programs that allow individuals to earn wages while learning skills for a specific occupation or trade and allow employers to develop and invest in their future workforce. Most Inland Empire apprenticeships are in building and construction trades (69%), firefighting (15%), or personal services (e.g., barber or cosmetology) (10%). The remaining 7%, or 922 apprentices, were registered in non-traditional programs, 473 were in advanced manufacturing programs. 449 were in other programs, led by health services (128), automotive repair (120), information technology (71), and food and food service (56) programs. While the number of apprentices is smaller in these non-traditional programs, they are the fastest growing.

“Creating pathways to high quality jobs is critical to keeping the Inland Empire economically competitive. It has made a major impact in workforce readiness by providing effective ways for young people to gain the skills they need for lucrative employment,” said Matthew Mena, Executive Director, Inland Economic Growth & Opportunity (IEGO).

Mena adds that a significant reason the Inland Empire has built an effective apprenticeship pipeline is that its community colleges work in partnership with intermediaries such as the LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network (LAUNCH), an intermediary and education provider for businesses adopting the apprenticeship model. The LAUNCH Apprenticeship Network leverages the workforce and education systems of the region’s community colleges, K-12 districts, and Workforce Development Boards.

“While the Inland Empire is a statewide leader in apprenticeships, there is still work to be done to create greater access for underrepresented residents,” adds Mena. According to the report, only 6% of apprentices in the Inland Empire are women, a smaller share than the 9% of female apprentices in California. The gender gap in the Inland Empire is driven by low rates of women in building and construction apprenticeship programs (2% female) and the CA firefighters’ program (3% female).

Citing the proven track record for the apprenticeship model, California Governor Gavin Newsom set an ambitious goal in 2018 of reaching 500,000 active apprentices by 2029. As a result, the state has significantly increased registered apprenticeship completions and enrollments. However, the current rate of apprenticeship expansion is insufficient to meet the statewide goal of 500,000 apprentices trained between 2018 and 2029.

“The Inland Empire can play a greater role in meeting these goals and supporting our residents’ future economic opportunities by working with intermediaries such as LAUNCH, improving access for underrepresented groups, and expanding the range of occupations with strong growth potential that use the apprenticeship model including education, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and clean technology,” added Mena.

To read the full report, go to Apprenticeship in the Inland Empire – Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research.

About Inland Empire / Desert Region Center of Excellence for Labor Market Information: The Centers of Excellence for Labor Market Research are part of California’s Workforce and Economic Development Division. As grant-funded technical assistance providers, the nine Centers are located strategically across the state to study California’s regional economies. The work supports the community colleges by providing customized data on high growth, emerging, and economically critical industries and occupations. The Centers produce reports and tools that provide a real-time picture of the labor market, where it is headed, and what programs and training are needed to meet future workforce demand. This research helps community colleges tailor their programs to support the state’s dynamic and competitive workforce.