The Daily Dig
Associated Builders and Contractors says nonunion registered apprenticeship programs, or RAPs, drove the vast majority of growth in construction apprenticeships between fiscal years 2020 and 2025. ABC's analysis of U.S. Department of Labor data found that nonunion programs now make up 93% of all construction RAPs nationwide. Participation in those programs climbed 60% over the five-year period, compared to a 21% increase for union programs.
The gap holds across nearly every metric ABC tracked. The number of nonunion RAPs grew 18% since 2020. Union affiliated programs shrank by 1.5% over the same stretch. Completions followed a similar pattern, with nonunion programs producing 47% more graduates in 2025 than in 2020, against 19% growth for union programs. Even with that program level dominance, nonunion apprentices made up only 31% of total construction RAP participants in 2025.
ABC estimates the construction industry's federal and state RAPs had roughly 324,000 apprentice participants in fiscal year 2025, yielding about 40,000 completers. That figure includes estimates for eight states that did not submit complete data to DOL, so the true national numbers could differ somewhat from what is reported here.
ABC vice president of government affairs Kristen Swearingen tied the findings to workforce shortage numbers, noting the industry needs roughly 349,000 additional workers in 2026. She called on DOL to streamline apprenticeship regulations and add incentives for better RAP performance. Swearingen argued that would draw more sponsors and employers into the system and support the Trump administration's goal of adding 1 million new active apprentices.
Snapshot:
Source: Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
Data Period: Fiscal Years 2020–2025
Nonunion Share of Construction RAPs (2025): 93%
Nonunion RAP Participant Growth (2020–2025): 60%
Union RAP Participant Growth (2020–2025): 21%
Nonunion RAP Program Growth (2020–2025): 18%
Union RAP Program Change (2020–2025): -1.5%
Nonunion RAP Completer Growth (2020–2025): 47%
Union RAP Completer Growth (2020–2025): 19%
Nonunion Share of Total RAP Participants (2025): 31%
Total Construction RAP Participants (FY2025 est.): ~324,000
Total Construction RAP Completers (FY2025 est.): ~40,000
Projected Construction Workforce Shortage (2026): 349,000
ABC Chapters: 67
ABC Membership: 24,000
ABC RAP Count: 450+ across 20+ occupations
Data Limitation: Eight states did not report complete RAP data to DOL
TheJobWalk Thoughts
The real story is in the size gap. Nonunion programs account for 93% of all construction RAPs but only 31% of participants, while the much smaller remaining share of programs still holds the majority of participants. On average, a nonunion RAP is running with far fewer apprentices than the typical union program. That structural difference is worth tracking on its own, separate from the growth headlines.
For GCs and subs, this points to a system built on volume rather than a shift away from union training. Union participation grew 21% over the same period, so this is not a story about union pipelines losing ground. It is a story about a much larger number of smaller, independent programs entering the system and scaling participation faster off a lower base.
Swearingen's push for streamlined DOL rules and performance incentives is a policy request, not an active program. Nothing in this data confirms funding, eligibility, or timing. Firms weighing whether to register their own RAP should read this as a snapshot of where the system stands today, not a signal that incentives are imminent.
🥾Want to advertise in TheJobWalk? Learn More🥾
