Apprentice Nation: How the "Earn and Learn" Alternative to Higher Education Will Create a Stronger and Fairer America

by Ryan Craig

College isn’t for everyone. It’s time to challenge the status quo and embrace the potential of a more inclusive, affordable, and sustainable pathway to economic opportunity.

For decades, college has been the only respectable way to access the world of work, despite paralyzing tuition and a dire lack of practical skills that has left 40 percent of college graduates underemployed, unfulfilled, and struggling to repay student loan debt.

Fortunately, college is not America’s only option. In Apprentice Nation , education and workforce expert Ryan Craig explores how a modern apprenticeship system will allow students and job seekers to jumpstart their careers by learning while they earn — ultimately leading to greater economic opportunity, workforce diversity, and geographic mobility.

Readers will  

With an easy-to-reference directory of US apprenticeship programs by industry and geography, Craig’s Apprentice Nation is an accessible blueprint for a country where young Americans of all backgrounds can launch careers in tech, healthcare, finance, and more—without losing four critical, career-building years and tens of thousands to college tuition and student loans. With just a few common-sense changes to  education and workforce development, an apprentice nation will place the American Dream within reach—for everyone.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Business

384 pages, Hardcover

Published November 7, 2023

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Future of Education?

A very interesting and important book on the future and alternatives of higher education.

I am especially interested in the topics of this book around trades and blue collar work skill improvements, as an improvement to the population.

An excellent book on improving the lives of citizens, keeping skilled trades locally, and lifting up the lives of specific socioeconomic sectors.

The book also detailed some really important and pertinent improvements to the university system and how it can be more inclusive and welcoming. Examples such as adjusting the prerequisites of courses to one specifically specific to the course instead of blanket prerequisites that limit enrollment.

Very encouraging and enlightening read.

Highly recommend reading it.

4.3/5

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched and thought-out argument for the value of apprenticeships and the challenges to implementation within the US economy. I highlighted and tabbed multiple paragraphs that will be useful reference information as I work to address accounting talent shortages in Ohio. Many conversation starters within this book. May we be brave enough to have the conversations.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for a thoroughly researched and presented argument for a broad increase of apprenticeships (earn and learn) in the US to fill both experience and skills gaps, provide social mobility, and generally shrug off the outdated (his argument) push to 4 year college which has become horribly misaligned with actual career pathways, includes ineffective "college career services" as one stop career service via Handshake app that nationalized entry level positions that only work for elite colleges wealthy students who have other assistance to reach careers and
He wants to end career services and replace faculty led connections to jobs/career.

One critique of course of the kinds of preparation and array of study paths that do not lead to a neat career link, is that those students become our creatives, entrepreneurs, innovators, etc
In fact there are many arguments to make for 4 year college, but I give a 5 for a focused, data rich, passionate, humorous and effective work promoting apprenticeahips as a great solution for youth, companies, and the global post chatGPT economy.

He has a plethora of great ideas for ways to make these apprenticeships effective, following a Australian midel over German model which has students tracked from middle school. Also policies to incentivize companies to offer apprenticeships..
So much!
Highly recommend to folks interested in a future America where career ladders provide social mobility, reduce debt, and expand our skilled workforce in technical fields as well as the traditional vocational fields.
I remain a fan of 4 year college for those for whom it is the right path. I wholeheartedly am convinced that we should aim to join most advanced economic nations who have 30-50% of positions from apprenticeship pathways.
Degree programs need to be modified to support this, and again, tons of ideas, I may return later and list my favs.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great summary of the historical and current status of apprenticeships here in the U.S. as well as a chapter on what makes programs on Germany, UK, and Australia more successful than the U.S. Ryan is critical of the U.S. federal funding if Postsecondary education and earn and learn programs. With recommendations for how these issues might be addressed. There is also a great summary of existing apprenticeship programs here in the US.

[Jesse Rabinowitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like his general idea for increasing apprenticeships and the barriers outlined. That was about it. He could have said everything in about 3 pages that was useful. The rest of the book is a demonstration of how many acronyms he knows and his dei objectives. The amount of times he specified something as good based on the quantity of “non-whites” is absurd.

[Fahd Elh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really well written and well researched. The discussions in it makes a strong case for the necessity to increase the adoption and embracing apprenticeship. Even if it gave Germany, the UK, and Australia as examples, I would say that the main focus is the US.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important treatise on this desperately needed change in the higher education system.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed diagnosis of our broken labor issue in the US and presentation of many ways we can make it better!! Well written, well researched, and also surprisingly hopeful

[Jac]

By the end of part 1 I was leaving enough disgusted comments that I gave up.