The Case for Apprenticeships: Why South Dakota Businesses Cannot Afford to Wait

The workforce shortage is not coming. It is already here. And for businesses across South Dakota, especially in healthcare, the question is no longer whether to address it. The question is how.

At Propelled Professionals Inc., we believe the answer starts with Registered Apprenticeship. Not because it is a trend, but because it works. It has worked for nearly 90 years, and right now it is more relevant, more accessible, and more impactful than ever before.

What Is a Registered Apprenticeship Program?

A Registered Apprenticeship Program is a structured, industry-driven workforce training model validated by the U.S. Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Agency. It combines paid, on-the-job training under an experienced mentor with related classroom instruction, progressive wage increases, and a nationally recognized credential upon completion.

In plain terms: your employee shows up, learns the job, gets paid while they learn, earns a credential that follows them throughout their career, and in many cases can earn college credit along the way, all without taking on a single dollar of student debt. No classroom-only training disconnected from the real world. Just skills built on the floor, in the field, or at the bedside.

Apprentices can begin as young as 16 years old, making Registered Apprenticeship one of the most accessible and earliest on-ramps to a meaningful career available to young people in South Dakota today.

What Is in It for the Worker?

The benefits for apprentices are straightforward and significant. They earn a paycheck from day one. Their wages increase progressively as their skills grow. And when they complete the program, they walk away with a portable, nationally recognized credential that carries real weight with employers across the country.

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Registered Apprenticeship Program completers earned average annual wages of around $80,000 in their first year after completing their program, higher than the average earnings of associate degree holders. That is a meaningful outcome for a program that costs the apprentice nothing out of pocket.

Beyond wages, apprentices gain something that classroom training alone rarely delivers: confidence. They learn by doing, supported by mentors who are invested in their success. That combination builds not just skilled workers, but committed, loyal professionals who understand the culture of the organization they are entering.

What Is in It for the Employer?

This is where the conversation often gets most interesting, especially for small and mid-sized businesses who assume apprenticeship programs are only for large corporations or trade industries. They are not.

The return on investment for employers who sponsor Registered Apprenticeship programs is well documented. A U.S. Department of Labor study found that the median employer experiences over $17,800 in cumulative net benefits per apprentice over the full program period and the five years that follow, with an annualized return on investment of 6.3 percent. Employers also benefit from reduced turnover, improved workplace culture, stronger co-worker productivity, and a consistent pipeline of skilled workers trained specifically to their standards.

Nearly 60 percent of employers in that same study ranked the improvement in their skilled worker pipeline as more valuable than even the direct productivity gain of the apprentice. When you train someone from the ground up inside your organization, they do not just know the job. They know your organization.

In healthcare specifically, where turnover is one of the costliest operational challenges a business faces, apprenticeship trained employees stay longer. They are more engaged. And the continuity they bring directly improves the quality of care delivered to patients.

What Programs Does PPI Offer?

One of the most common misconceptions about apprenticeship is that it only applies to trades like construction or electrical work. At PPI, we have built programs across a wide range of roles that reflect the real workforce needs of South Dakota businesses today.

Our current apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship offerings include Certified Nurse Aide, Unlicensed Medication Assistant, Community Health Worker, Behavioral Health Aide, Home Health Aide Specialist, Restorative Therapy, Industry Specialist in Developmental Delays, Cultural Liaison, Medical Billing and Coding, Office Administrator, Operations Management, Account Manager, Referral Specialist, Resource Specialist, Social Media Marketing, and Email Marketing Specialist, among others.

If your business has a workforce role that is not on this list, that is not a barrier. We can develop a custom program around any occupation a sponsor needs. Our programs are competency-based, meaning they are built around what a worker can actually do, not just how many hours they have sat in a seat.

What Is in It for South Dakota?

South Dakota made history earlier this year when Governor Rhoden signed Senate Bill 63 into law, establishing the State Office of Apprenticeship within the Department of Labor and Regulation. South Dakota is now an official State Apprenticeship Agency, meaning the development and oversight of Registered Apprenticeship programs is now closer than ever to the employers and workers who need them most.

This is a landmark moment for our state. It means faster program registration, more localized support, and a stronger statewide commitment to building the skilled workforce South Dakota businesses need to grow. The national goal is to reach one million active apprentices across the country. South Dakota is doing its part, and Propelled Professionals Inc. is proud to be leading the charge in healthcare.

How PPI and StartTodaySD Make It Happen

As a Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary through StartTodaySD, Propelled Professionals Inc. removes the administrative burden that often keeps small and mid-sized businesses from launching apprenticeship programs of their own. And unlike many workforce development services, our technical assistance to employers is completely free.

We work directly with businesses to develop on-the-job learning competencies, connect them with educational providers, collaborate with the local workforce system, and provide incentive funding for launching new programs. We handle the registration process, provide ongoing monitoring and support, and walk alongside every apprentice and employer from day one.

PPI is proud to be affiliated with and aligned alongside Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Leadership South Dakota, and SDCEO, organizations that share our commitment to building stronger communities through workforce investment and small business development.

The Bottom Line

If you are a business owner or employer in South Dakota who has been curious about apprenticeship but unsure where to start, this is your moment. The infrastructure is in place. The support is available. And the results speak for themselves.

Apprenticeship is not a shortcut. It is a smarter path. For your workers, for your business, and for your community.

Propelled Professionals Inc. is here to help you build it.

Contact us today to learn more about how the Registered Apprenticeship Program through StartTodaySD can work for your organization.

📍 375 Dakota Ave S, Suite 101 Dakota Plaza, Huron, SD 57350 📞 605.554.3311 🌐 propelledpros.com

Propelled Professionals Inc. is a Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary through StartTodaySD, serving employers and workers across South Dakota.