Can Apprenticeships Restore the American Dream?
A conversation with “Apprentice Nation” author Ryan Craig on why “earn and learn” college alternatives are key to giving more young Americans a path to a better future.
Launching pad.
Photographer: MEGAN JELINGER/AFPThis interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Romesh Ratnesar: As 2023 ends, the US’s unemployment rate stands at 3.7%. At the same time, there are still millions more job openings than there are workers available to fill them — in part because young Americans, including recent college graduates, too often lack the skills and experience employers are looking for. Your book, Apprentice Nation, makes the case that the US isn’t doing nearly enough to develop the “earn and learn” educational system needed to address this challenge. Why should this be a more urgent priority for policy makers?