December 18, 2025

By Lane Kimble

The three most popular and well-paying apprenticeship pathways in Wisconsin all have something in common: they’re tied to the construction industry.

Still, the demand for skilled workers is outpacing the state’s programs.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum’s latest reportout Thursday found new electrician, carpenter, and construction laborer apprentices all earned well above $40,000 per year.

The 252 new construction laborer apprentices in 2024 was the third-most of any career path.

However, the report says there are 2,574 projected job openings in the industry, meaning fewer than one apprentice is available per every 10 job openings.

Apprenticeships in other fields are significantly lacking, especially in health care, registered nurses, education and human resources. Geographically, south-central and northeast Wisconsin have much stronger participation levels than the north-central and northwest parts of the state.

The report suggests those fields and regions need to bolster employer participation and boost wage offerings to improve the workforce.

“Though not the only pathway into many in-demand, good-paying careers, apprenticeships are a critical tool for addressing Wisconsin’s workforce demand in many industries and could be further expanded,” the report’s authors wrote.

Wisconsin has set record levels of apprenticeship participation for the past several years.