Celebrating National Apprenticeship Day

Published on April 30, 2025

Group of attendees pose during the apprenticeship workshop event.

How does an organization create a skilled workforce? Sometimes it starts with an opportunity to learn.

Apprenticeships are paid positions that provide training, education and credentialing in specific industries. The City of Charlotte is recognized as an Apprenticeship Ambassador by the U.S. Department of Labor, joining as one of only three municipalities among hundreds of other businesses and organizations across the United States. The city also received the Outstanding Apprenticeship Partner Award from ApprenticeshipNC in 2024.

“Apprenticeships are an important strategy for shaping a skilled and adaptable workforce,” says Danielle Frazier, special assistant to the city manager for Workforce Development. “The City of Charlotte is honored to be recognized as a leader in workforce development and to share what we’ve learned with other municipalities across North Carolina.”

In honor of National Apprenticeship Day, the City of Charlotte Office of Workforce Development hosted 18 municipalities and 125 attendees at its Future of the Municipal Workforce: Registered Apprenticeships workshop. Attendees were able to connect, share best practices and discover strategies for launching and expanding their own registered apprenticeship programs.

Speakers included Kindl Detar, North Carolina Office of the Governor; Dr. Chris Harrington, director of ApprenticeshipNC; Tashifa Hasan, National League of Cities; and Joshua Johnson, Jobs for the Future. The City of Charlotte also hosted panel discussions about its apprenticeship program.

The importance of apprenticeships is echoed at the state and federal level. In March, Governor Josh Stein announced an executive order to create a Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships and proposed investing $256 million in workforce development and education initiatives.

“Our state’s greatest asset is our people, and to invest in our future, we must invest in our people,” said Governor Josh Stein in a press release. “No state will outwork North Carolina when it comes to developing our workforce.”

Attendees left with knowledge, connections to other municipalities and workforce development leaders, and a blueprint to start their own apprenticeship program.

The City of Charlotte currently has 71 apprentices and looks forward to growing its program.