A sponsor
You (or an intermediary) register the program with the state and define the skills the apprentice will master.
For Employers · Apprenticeships
Build a Trained Pipeline with Apprenticeships.
A Registered Apprenticeship lets you hire and train workers to your standards while they earn — with a state tax credit on their wages and grants that can fund the classroom side. Career Skills Center provides that classroom training.
The basics
What a Registered Apprenticeship is
A Registered Apprenticeship is an “earn while you learn” job. The apprentice is your employee from day one, learns on the job from a mentor, takes related classroom instruction alongside the work, and moves up a defined wage-progression schedule to a nationally recognized credential.
It flips the usual order. Instead of “train first, then get hired,” the apprentice is hired first and trained during the job. So an apprenticeship isn’t a way to get a credit for hiring someone who’s already fully trained — the training is the job. (A separate ITA/WIOA voucher is the classroom-first path; see WIOA explained.)
How it works
The four building blocks
On-the-job learning
Apprentices work and learn under experienced staff, building real skills from day one.
Related instruction
Classroom or online coursework runs alongside the job — the part Career Skills Center can provide.
Wage progression
Pay rises on a set schedule as the apprentice hits skill milestones — earn while you learn.
Funding
How much it costs an employer — and what you get back
Because the apprentice is your employee, you pay their wages. Two things bring the real cost down: a state tax credit on those wages, and grants that can fund the classroom instruction.
Registered Apprentice Tax Credit
If you register as a program sponsor, Massachusetts offers a tax credit worth 50% of an apprentice’s wages, up to $4,800 per apprentice per year, and up to $100,000 per employer per year — for up to 2 consecutive tax years per apprentice.
To qualify (per the state): you must be registered with the Division of Apprentice Standards (DAS) as a sponsor with an approved apprenticeship agreement; the apprentice must work at least 180 days in the tax year with their main workplace in Massachusetts; and the occupation must be on the state’s eligible list (technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, clean energy and other in-demand fields).
Grants for the classroom side
Massachusetts GROW grants (and related technical instruction grants) can help fund the classroom portion of an apprenticeship. Award amounts are set per grant round, and the rules require that the cost of related instruction not be passed on to the apprentice. This classroom piece is exactly what Career Skills Center can provide.
A WIOA training voucher can cover the classroom side too. Under federal rules, Registered Apprenticeships are automatically eligible for the state’s Eligible Training Provider List, so an Individual Training Account (ITA) can pay for an apprentice’s related instruction. The catch: the apprentice must personally qualify for WIOA, and each MassHire board sets its own caps and eligible occupations — so this varies by region.
Sources: mass.gov — Apply for a Registered Apprentice Tax Credit (DAS Issuance TY2026); Registered Apprenticeship funding opportunities / GROW grants; apprenticeship.gov (earn-while-you-learn model); U.S. DOL TEGL 13-16 and 20 CFR 680.470 (ITA for apprenticeship related instruction; automatic ETPL eligibility). Checked 2026-09-28.
Why it pays off
Benefits for employers
- Better retention. Workers you train and invest in tend to stay longer.
- A trained pipeline. You grow the exact skills your business needs, to your standards.
- Real cost offsets. The state tax credit on wages plus grants for the classroom side lower what the apprenticeship costs you.
As our programs launch, our graduates will become a hiring pipeline for partner employers.
For employers
Interested in apprenticeships?
Tell us about your team and the classroom training you need for an apprenticeship, and we’ll follow up.
Apprenticeship FAQ
What is a Registered Apprenticeship?
It’s an “earn while you learn” job. The apprentice is your employee from day one and is trained on the job by a mentor, plus related classroom instruction, over a program that ends in a nationally recognized credential. Programs are registered with the state (Division of Apprentice Standards) or the federal apprenticeship agency.
Do I train the person first and then they become an apprentice?
No — that’s a common mix-up. An apprenticeship flips the usual order: you hire the person first and they learn on the job while they work. It’s not a subsidy for hiring someone who is already fully trained. (Separately, a pre-apprenticeship can prepare someone to enter an apprenticeship.)
How is this different from an ITA / WIOA training voucher?
They’re two different paths. An ITA voucher pays for classroom training before a job, at a state-approved school. An apprenticeship is a paid job where training happens during employment. The apprentice tax credit only applies to registered apprentices — not to someone you hire after they finish ITA-funded training.
Can a WIOA voucher (ITA) help pay for an apprenticeship?
Yes — for the classroom (related instruction) part. Registered Apprenticeships are automatically eligible for the state training-provider list, so an ITA can cover an apprentice’s related instruction when the apprentice personally qualifies for WIOA. Local MassHire boards set the caps and eligible occupations, so it varies by region. (Federal guidance TEGL 13-16; 20 CFR 680.470.)
How much can an employer get back?
Massachusetts offers a Registered Apprentice Tax Credit worth 50% of an apprentice’s wages, up to $4,800 per apprentice per year and up to $100,000 per employer per year, for up to two consecutive tax years. GROW grants can also help fund the classroom (related instruction) side. Amounts and rules are set by the state.
Which apprentices qualify for the tax credit?
Per the state: you must be registered with the Division of Apprentice Standards as a sponsor with an approved apprenticeship agreement, the apprentice must work at least 180 days in the tax year with their main workplace in Massachusetts, and the occupation must be on the state’s eligible list (technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, clean energy and other in-demand fields).
What is Career Skills Center's role in apprenticeships?
Career Skills Center provides training. We can deliver the related classroom instruction a Registered Apprenticeship requires. We don't register or administer your apprenticeship program or claim the tax credit — you do that with the state as the sponsor. Career Skills Center plans to offer training in healthcare, IT and the skilled trades; as our programs launch, our graduates will become a hiring pipeline for partner employers.