Dissertation Defense Announcement Ph.D. in Education Program: Nicole (Sandelier) Boyd “Factors Associated with Registered Apprenticeship Program Completion and Exit Wage Growth 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 study investigates factors associated with ECE registered apprenticeship completion and exit wage growth. Discrete choice methods were used to analyze factors associated with completion. To analyze exit wage, Ordinary Least Squares and Inverse-Probability-Weighted Regression Adjustment methods were employed. The dissertation 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.