in 2024, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data, and about 11.2% of all U.S. construction workers were women.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s not complicated, it shows the pre-apprenticeship programs work,\u201d said Robert Anthony Bruno, director of the labor education program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and co-author of the report. \u201cWith the advantages that the pre-apprenticeship programs provide, they really allow an expanding group of workers who otherwise haven\u2019t been well represented in trades to find opportunity. It\u2019s greater access to skilled workers in an industry that tends to suffer from shortages and missed opportunities.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nPre-apprenticeship programs provide tuition-free training, ensuring that aspiring tradespeople can develop their skills without financial barriers. Therefore, this approach not only benefits workers but also supplies contractors with a steady pipeline of skilled labor.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBruno points to the data, which shows that between 2017 and 2024, Illinois enrolled more than 40,000 new construction apprentices, with 96% participating in joint labor-management programs affiliated with unions. These union-based apprenticeships have demonstrated higher success rates, boasting a 65% completion rate, which is more than double the 29% completion rate among nonunion, employer-only programs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWhen you see percentage increases that are double digits, that\u2019s a robust and sizable increase and exhilarating for the industry,\u201d Bruno said. \u201cThese investments are not only in the physical infrastructure, but it recognizes the need to invest in the labor force.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n