Registered Apprenticeship Programs in Nontraditional Sectors August 22, 2025

Registered Apprenticeship Programs in Nontraditional Sectors

Naomi Cowan, Outreach and Education Coordinator

This is Part 3 in a three-part newsletter series designed to support educators by providing clear information about registered apprenticeships, guidance on the search process, and practical talking points for discussing these opportunities with adult learners. Other articles in the series include the following:

Apprenticeships beyond construction and utilities

When most people think of apprenticeships, they think of the construction and utilities trades. While it is true the majority of registered programs are in these industries, the Department of Labor and Industry has programs registered in healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, hospitality, and more.

Did you know? Apprenticeship Minnesota registered its first Pastry Chef apprenticeship program this year.

Apprenticeships in nontraditional sectors (industries other than construction/utilities) apply the same “earn while you learn” model to occupations such as dental assistant, medical assistant, bus operator, community health worker, window cleaner, and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machinist.

How can I find out more about these opportunities?

A few of these programs are actively recruiting and can be found on the apprenticeship application directory.  However, some of the smaller programs do not have the space to actively hire multiple apprentices every year and are not listed on the directory.

A complete list of apprenticeship programs can be found at USDOL’s partner finder. This list, searchable by county, has contact information for every registered program. If an individual is interested in one of these programs, they should reach out to the program directly for more information.

Naomi Cowan, Outreach and Education Coordinator Apprenticeship MN, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

Newsletter Signup

Get MN ABE Connect—the official source for ABE events, activities, and resources!

Sign Up

Article Categories