To Build a Stable Life Sciences Workforce, Make Earn-While-You-Learn the Standard
Apprenti’s Daniel Weagle offers insights on building a stable life sciences workforce through making earn-while-you-learn the new standard. This article originally appeared in Insight Jam, an enterprise IT community that enables human conversation on AI.
Across the United States, the life sciences sector is undergoing a structural shift driven by a strategic commitment to reshoring manufacturing; state-of-the-art facilities are breaking ground nationwide at an unprecedented rate. However, these modern sites bring complex, evolving demands for the domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing workforce. These include competencies in automation engineering, continuous manufacturing, digital fluency, and artificial intelligence.
Traditional secondary and postsecondary instruction play a crucial role in developing foundational knowledge; however, high schools and colleges struggle to keep pace with the rapid changes affecting the life-sciences industry. Fulfilling the promise of pharmaceutical manufacturing reshoring requires targeted, industry-aligned programming that addresses two core imperatives: generating a robust talent pipeline capable of staffing new facilities across the U.S., and upskilling incumbent workers to succeed alongside emerging technologies.
That is where Registered Apprenticeship comes in.
An apprenticeship contains basic building blocks of paid training and on-the-job instruction. In the U.S., it’s traditionally been found in the building trades, but it’s more applicable than ever to high-skill technical work.
Through my work at Apprenti, a leading apprenticeship nonprofit, I’ve helped employers and industry partners use apprenticeship to meet evolving business needs. We offer apprenticeships in more than 30 occupations across all industries, each of which is registered with the federal government – ensuring alignment with standard skill sets for each occupation and opening the door to various federal and non-federal funding streams.
Through our Registered Apprenticeship services, employees get paid and receive mentorship starting on day one, while the employer develops talent ready to hit the ground running in real jobs.
Apprenticeship should be a standard component of any employer’s talent strategy. Apprenticeships can not only fill difficult-to-staff roles but also upskill incumbent workers and create clearer advancement pathways.
The business case is clear: 89 percent of apprentices who complete Apprenti’s programs are retained by their employer. Approximately half of our current apprentices are incumbent workers—evidence that the model can support both recruitment and internal talent development.
What Employers Should Consider Before Launching a Program
In my work helping employers and industry partners implement Registered Apprenticeship, I have found that the strongest programs start with a clear workforce problem and a clear definition of success.
Before launching, employers should ask:
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