Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ph.D. in Education Program: Nicole (Sandelier) Boyd “Factors Associated with Registered Apprenticeship Program Completion and Exit Wage in the Early Care and Education Field”

Registered apprenticeship programs have expanded into the early care and education (ECE) field to professionalize, retain, and attract a qualified workforce. Previous literature has underscored the importance of registered apprenticeship programs as a workforce development strategy, highlighting the economic and social benefits for individuals, employers, and society alike. However, only a small body of literature has analyzed factors associated with registered apprenticeship program completion and exit wage growth. Little is known about the factors associated with program completion or exit wage for ECE apprentices. Primarily utilizing data from the Registered Apprenticeship Partnership Data System, the proposed study investigates factors associated with ECE registered apprenticeship completion and exit wage growth.

Discrete choice methods will be used to analyze factors associated with completion. To analyze exit wage, multiple methods will be applied and evaluated, including Ordinary Least Squares, Propensity Score Matching, and Heckman Two-Step Selection Model. Each subsequent model is intended to move toward a stronger basis for causal inference of the effect of ECE registered apprenticeship program completion on exit wages. The proposed study advances the field with both new descriptive information and causal inference that can inform policy relating to registered apprenticeship programs for the ECE workforce.