Americans Back Apprenticeships as a Path to Skills, Stability, and the Middle Class

For a long time, the safest post–high school advice was simple: go to college and the rest will follow. But that belief is wobbling under the weight of rising tuition, unpredictable job markets, and debt loads that many graduates can’t comfortably carry. Layer on broader economic uncertainty, and more Americans are open to careers that feel steadier through the cycle — especially skilled trades built on apprenticeship.

In June 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $84 million in grants to expand registered apprenticeship programs across every state and territory, part of a broader push toward one million active apprentices nationwide. At the same time, public support for unions is surging, with 62% of Americans saying the decline in union membership has been bad for working people.

Meanwhile, higher education faces its own pressures. College enrollment has climbed modestly in 2025, led by community colleges, but concerns over rising costs and student debt persist. Employers are also signaling a shift toward “skills-first” hiring, with one in four saying they plan to drop bachelor’s degree requirements for some roles this year.

Against this backdrop, MagnaCare launched its 2025 Apprenticeship Perceptions Index in August 2025, partnering with third-party platform Pollfish to survey 1,000 working-age Americans between the ages of 18 and 64. What we found was that while college still carries cultural prestige, apprenticeships are winning the case on what most people want right now: practical skills, earlier earnings, and resilience.

Americans increasingly see apprenticeships as the faster path to real-world readiness and early stability, delivering the strongest job-ready skills and crediting them with helping people reach financial independence quickly. By contrast, many college graduates struggle to find roles that match their degrees, leaving them with debt and sometimes an unclear career trajectory. Trust compounds the appeal: 93% say union-led apprenticeships prepare people for stable, long-term careers, with many also judging them stronger (53%) and more accessible (61%) than non-union alternatives.

Public sentiment wants policy to catch up. Two-thirds (67%) expect union-led apprenticeships to grow in importance over the next 20 years, and 71% want funding and policy support on par with college — even as 75% still see society favoring college. People also view these paths as more recession-proof (52% vs. 12% for college) and say they’d feel proud if a close relative chose one (8 in 10). The mandate for policymakers, educators, and employers: close the culture gap by matching funding, expanding access, and showcasing outcomes so apprenticeships earn the same respect — and celebration — as a college route.

“These results show what many of us in the labor movement have known for years: union-led apprenticeships offer more than just training and ultimately open the doors to long lasting careers,” said Michelle Zettergren, MagnaCare’s President of Labor. “Graduates are entering the workforce highly talented with in-demand skills, and they’re doing so while earning a paycheck along the way. That combination sets apprenticeships apart, especially as college graduates often face debt without the guarantee of job-specific preparation. To keep these options strong, whether for young workers, women, or veterans, we need to ensure programs continue to receive robust support.”

Apprenticeships aren’t replacing college; they’re rebalancing the promise of upward mobility. In this economy, that balance is exactly what people are asking for.

Key findings:

• Forty-three percent of Americans say apprenticeships provide the most practical job skills, compared with just 6% for college.
• A majority (51%) believe apprenticeships are the clearest path to financial independence by age 25, while only nine percent say the same about college.
• Ninety-three percent are confident that union-led apprenticeships prepare people for stable, long-term careers, with trust levels consistent across generations.
• More than half (53%) say union-led apprenticeships deliver stronger training than non-union programs, and 61% say they make trade careers more accessible.
• Seventy-one percent of Americans want union-led apprenticeships to receive the same level of government funding and policy support as colleges and universities.
• Two-thirds (67%) expect union-led apprenticeships to grow in importance over the next 20 years.
• Fifty-two percent say union-supported apprenticeship careers are more recession-proof than college pathways, compared with just 12% who say the opposite.
• Eight in ten Americans say they would feel proud if a close relative chose a union-led apprenticeship over college.
• Sixty-three percent believe apprenticeships deserve more respect than they currently receive.

Apprenticeships are winning on skills and speed, but not yet on status.

Americans clearly believe apprenticeships are where people pick up practical job-ready skills. In this survey, 43% say apprenticeships provide the most practical training, while 47% say both apprenticeships and college do equally well, and only 6% say college alone. When it comes to financial independence, apprenticeships are also seen as the faster track. A majority, 51%, say apprenticeships are the clearest path to financial independence by age 25, compared with just 9% who say the same for college and 32% who say both are equally effective. Yet despite these advantages, prestige is still on the side of higher education, with 58% saying college carries greater social respect, compared with 63% who say apprenticeships deserve more respect than they currently receive.

This mix of perceptions creates a paradox: people know apprenticeships deliver the skills and the earnings timeline that matter most, but culturally they still see college as carrying higher status. That tension is strongest among younger adults, who are less likely than older respondents to identify apprenticeships as the best path to independence. This gap suggests that apprenticeships are still not fully normalized as an alternative for Gen Z.

From a broader perspective, this reflects the legacy of the “college for all” message that has dominated education and workforce policy for decades. College remains the default — even when people acknowledge it is slower, more expensive, and less job-focused. For apprenticeship advocates, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to close the respect gap by showing apprenticeships as equal in dignity to a degree. The opportunity lies in the fact that the performance story — skills, speed, earnings — is already on the side of apprenticeships.

The union brand transforms trust in apprenticeships.

Union-led apprenticeships stand out in the public mind as the highest-quality version of this pathway. Ninety-three percent of Americans say they are confident union-led programs prepare people for stable, long-term careers, an almost unanimous figure in today’s polarized environment. Fifty-three percent believe they provide stronger training than non-union programs, and 61% say they make trade careers more accessible. This confidence holds across every age group, with no generation falling below 90%. Beyond stronger training standards, union programs pay apprentices as they learn, a crucial factor that makes these pathways more accessible and financially sustainable than traditional college routes.

The trust placed in union-led apprenticeships is striking because few institutions in America enjoy such consistent support. In a climate where higher education itself faces skepticism over costs and outcomes, unions appear to serve as a quality guarantee for apprenticeship programs. People assume that union-led models come with better oversight, stronger mentoring, and a clearer career ladder. This perception aligns with decades of data showing that joint labor-management apprenticeship programs invest more per apprentice, have higher completion rates, and lead to stronger long-term earnings than non-union programs.

For employers and policymakers, this trust carries real weight. Families and young people making education decisions are reassured by the union seal of approval. For unions themselves, this is an opportunity to emphasize not just solidarity but also professional training and career outcomes. And for non-union apprenticeship providers, it sets a high bar: If they want to compete for trust, they need to make their quality standards, completion rates, and student outcomes equally visible.

Americans want funding parity with higher education.

Americans are not calling for apprenticeships to replace college, but they do want them put on equal footing. Seven in ten say union-led apprenticeships should receive the same level of government funding and policy support as colleges and universities. Two-thirds believe these programs will become more important over the next 20 years. At the same time, three-quarters say American society is still biased in favor of college degrees.

This perspective reflects a significant cultural shift. For years, debates about apprenticeships and college were framed as either-or, but the public is signaling a both-and approach. People see value in maintaining strong higher education systems, but they also want apprenticeships to be supported in parallel. The public’s expectation of parity, not preference, makes it easier for policymakers to increase investment in apprenticeships without appearing anti-college.

In practice, this could mean aligning apprenticeship support with the kinds of financial aid and services that college students receive — such as stipends, transportation support, and funding for tools and materials. It could also mean giving apprenticeship completion the same weight as a degree in hiring and promotion systems. For the press, this represents an important rebalancing moment: Americans are telling policymakers to stop treating apprenticeships as a second-class option and start funding them as a core pathway into the workforce.

Apprenticeships are seen as recession-proof careers.

When it comes to economic resilience, apprenticeships hold a clear edge in public opinion. A majority, 52%, say union-supported apprenticeship careers are more recession-proof than college-based paths, compared with 12% who say the reverse and 27% who see no difference. Fifty-seven percent also believe union-led programs provide stronger career opportunities than non-union ones, while 69% say unions make trades more attractive to young people.

These results underscore that people view apprenticeships not only as a way into the workforce but also as a way to stay employed through economic cycles. Older respondents in particular see apprenticeships as resilient, with support rising to 64% among those aged 55–64. This perspective may come from lived experience: Workers who have weathered recessions know the value of a trade backed by collective bargaining agreements and steady demand in construction, energy, and infrastructure.

For younger audiences, the recession-proof message may require more explanation. Many 18- to 24-year-olds have not lived through a major downturn in the labor market as full-time workers. Showing how apprenticeship graduates fared during the 2008 recession or the COVID-19 pandemic could make the argument more tangible. For unions and apprenticeship advocates, resilience is a key differentiator. In a time of economic uncertainty, positioning apprenticeships as a pathway that not only pays but also protects makes them even more attractive.

Acceptance is high, but respect has not caught up.

The stigma once associated with choosing trades instead of college has faded for most Americans. Eight in ten say they would feel proud if a close relative chose a union-led apprenticeship over college. Awareness is also strong, with 71% saying they are at least somewhat familiar with apprenticeship programs. At the same time, 63% say apprenticeships deserve more respect than they currently receive.

This mix of high acceptance and lingering lack of respect highlights the cultural challenge facing apprenticeship programs. Americans are open to apprenticeships, support them for others, and even express pride in family members choosing them. Yet socially, apprenticeships are still not afforded the same dignity as a college degree. The respect gap is particularly visible among younger adults, who are less likely than older cohorts to fully embrace apprenticeships as a respected alternative.

Closing this gap will require intentional storytelling. Employers and unions can highlight the achievements of apprenticeship graduates, featuring diverse voices and high-profile success stories. Policymakers can reinforce parity by celebrating apprenticeship completion alongside college graduations. Over time, normalizing apprenticeships as prestigious, respected, and aspirational is the missing piece in aligning public attitudes with the trust and acceptance these programs already enjoy.

Why this matters now

Our survey finds that Americans are ready to elevate apprenticeships to the same level of support and recognition as college. Apprenticeships are seen as faster paths to financial independence, trusted at near-universal levels when union-led, and deserving of funding on equal terms with higher education. The mandate is clear: close the culture gap by matching funding, expanding access, and spotlighting outcomes so that choosing an apprenticeship is as celebrated as choosing a campus.

What sits beneath this consensus is a clear rationale. People prize job-ready skills (43% name apprenticeships vs. 6% for college) and trust union-led programs to translate training into lasting careers (93%). They want policy parity because they expect these pathways to grow in importance (71% favor equal funding) and they view them as steadier in downturns (52% vs. 12% for college). Pride underscores the shift: eight in ten would be proud if a close relative chose a union-led apprenticeship — evidence that these programs now signal opportunity, not compromise.

“People want education that translates directly to opportunities,” Zettergren said. “Union apprenticeships meet that demand because they deliver hands-on skills, wages during training, and career paths that are resilient through economic shifts. Sustaining these investments ensures more workers can build lasting, prosperous careers in essential industries.”