City of Boston Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week

Worker Empowerment Cabinet and Boston Public Library to host Apprenticeship Fair

Mayor Michelle Wu and the Worker Empowerment Cabinet today proclaimed April 26 - May 2, 2026,National Apprenticeship Weekin Boston, emphasizing the value of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP) in strengthening the economy by developing a highly skilled workforce to meet industry needs and creating pathways for career seekers to catapult into in-demand jobs. The proclamation highlights the City's efforts to connect residents to opportunities to help them achieve their professional goals.

"Apprenticeships create real pathways to opportunity-connecting Boston residents to good jobs while helping our industries grow," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we're proud to continue expanding these programs and building a workforce that reflects the talent and diversity of our city. Thank you to the Worker Empowerment Cabinet for their leadership and partnership in scaling this work citywide."

National Apprenticeship Week is a nationwide celebration where employers, apprentices and graduates, industry representatives, labor organizations, community-based organizations, workforce partners, educational institutions, and government agencies host events to showcase registered apprenticeships. Registered Apprenticeship programs are a proven model of apprenticeship that provides employers with a cost-effective way to train their future workforce and access to larger talent pools of skilled workers, thereby meeting industry demands and reducing unemployment rates. For workers, RAPS are the gold standard for providing quality pathways to good jobs that do not require an advanced degree. Boston is home to 47 apprenticeships and currently trains 4,000 apprentices, accounting for 41% of all apprentices trained in Massachusetts.

"Registered Apprenticeships reduce barriers to employment by allowing workers to gain skills and knowledge while earning a paycheck, putting residents on the path to upward economic mobility," said Chief of Worker Empowerment Trinh Nguyen. "Boston now leads the state in apprenticeship programs, and the Worker Empowerment Cabinet is proud to support innovation in the city's workforce ecosystem and expand this model in key industries. Together, we will continue to create pipelines to family-sustaining jobs and expand opportunity across our communities.

In honor of National Apprenticeship Week, the Worker Empowerment Cabinet is hosting an Apprenticeship Fair on Tuesday, April 28, 3:30-6 p.m. at the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, in partnership with the Boston Public Library. Several industries will be represented, including Hospitality, Healthcare, Life Sciences, Construction, and Clean Energy. Seventeen organizations will be in attendance:

1. Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology
2. Fisher College
3. BEST Hospitality
4. Boston EMS
5. IBEW Local 103
6. YMCA
7. Division of Apprenticeship Standards
8. Opticians Association of Massachusetts
9. YouthBuild Boston
10. Greater Boston Plumbing Contractors Association | Local 12
11. Center for Working Families
12. Boston Public Library
13. Sheet Metal Workers Union Local #17
14. Office of Labor Compliance and Worker Protections
15. Heat and Frost Insulators Local 6 JATC
16. Neighborhood Villages
17. Boston Resident's Jobs Policy

Learn more at boston.gov/apprenticeships.

• Published by: Workforce Development