Why are there so few tech apprenticeships?

Ten years ago, Nafis Bey got a rare opportunity: a tech apprenticeship.

Hired, paid and mentored by the small team at Jarvus, a civic-tech-focused software development firm in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood, Bey honed his skills while contributing to real projects.

“It changed my life,” he told me this month, a decade after Technical.ly first profiled him.

The apprenticeship launched his career. He took on increasingly challenging roles, mastering AWS cloud solutions, JavaScript frontends and backend optimization with PHP and Node.js. Bey joined a major academic publishing company, gaining experience in DevOps and QA. During the pandemic, he helped a startup execute a private-equity-backed relaunch, only to be laid off as rising interest rates crushed valuations.

Now 32, living in West Philadelphia and experimenting with AI models, Bey is looking for work. His journey underscores why tech apprenticeships matter — and why they remain so scarce.

A missing piece in tech talent development

Apprenticeships — paid, on-the-job, longterm training stints with an employer — are centuries old. Elsewhere in the world, the model transitioned from blacksmiths to boilermakers to just about any other in-demand role. 

Champions want to do the same in the United States, where today marks the beginning of the 10th annual National Apprenticeship Week, but the model is still dominated by the building trades. 

Nearly two-thirds of all registered apprenticeships are in construction, according to the Department of Labor. While some tech apprenticeships are unregistered — like Bey’s was — registered programs provide tax credits for employers and a way to track volume. Even among industries outside construction, tech apprenticeships are tiny in number: just 6,300 in 2023, compared to 60,000 in manufacturing and 25,000 in healthcare. 

This imbalance persists despite years of discussion about tech’s talent demands. During the 2010s, Technical.ly reported on several small-scale tech apprenticeship programs, including the one at Jarvus. Yet such efforts have failed to scale. Why?

One explanation is degree requirements. Many tech roles came to require four-year degrees, creating a mismatch with apprenticeships, which often target non-degree holders. Advocates have pushed for “skills-based hiring,” urging employers to drop degree mandates. But progress has underwhelmed. In 2023, fewer than 1 in 700 hires were directly linked to such changes, research this year from the Burning Glass Institute and Harvard Business School found.

Tech’s fast-evolving skillsets also pose a challenge. For roles that don’t require four-year degrees, employers have preferred short-term programs like coding bootcamps, which predict as many as 350,000 graduates next year. The uncertainty surrounding AI’s impact on hiring has further exacerbated this trend. In a recent survey, hiring managers predicted AI would disrupt half of the skills they seek. With that indecision, many tech employers are continuing to bet on the lightweight, if erratic, coding bootcamp industry over developing apprenticeships.

Fundamentally, tech employers have been reluctant sponsors of apprenticeships. In interviews for a Technical.ly report on workforce diversity last year, many employers saw themselves as consumers of talent rather than creators.

A path forward, with lessons from a former apprentice

Programs like Philadelphia’s Urban Technology Project aim to bridge the gap. UTP simplifies the regulatory burden for employers, who then hire, manage and mentor apprentices. This group apprenticeship model has gained traction, as have similar initiatives nationwide.

“We make it as easy as possible,” UTP executive director Shana Savage told me.

As a result, tech apprenticeships are on the rise — albeit from a small base. Since 2019, the number of tech apprenticeships has increased by nearly 2.5x, making it one of the fastest-growing categories. Programs funded through initiatives like the EDA Tech Hubs highlight the importance of collaboration between employers and workforce providers. For instance, Western Pennsylvania’s $62.7 million New Economy Collaborative includes apprenticeship components in its tech talent strategy.

Still, narrative change is crucial. Employers need to see apprenticeships as viable, long-term investments, while potential apprentices need to envision themselves in tech roles.

Bey’s story highlights both the promise and challenges of tech apprenticeships. His experience at a small firm gave him a broad skillset but lacked the institutional support of larger programs. His career has been shaped by tech’s cyclical nature, with booms followed by busts.

“Learn a little bit of everything, or specialize,” Bey advised, reflecting on his path.

Today, Bey is navigating a tougher job market. The pandemic normalized hiring tech talent abroad, and domestic opportunities have become harder to secure than in the fast-growth cheap money era. Programs like Accenture’s apprenticeship initiative demonstrate what a sustained employer commitment can look like. With insurance giant Aon, Accenture has committed to 1,000 apprenticeships by next year. Without it, only the most determined, like Bey, stick around.

“I’ll keep applying and working on my skills,” Bey said. “I’ve learned to love technology.”