Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

First Advisor

Dr. Steven Culver

Abstract

This study is focused on current and future workforce needs and the use of apprenticeship to bridge those needs from the perspective of business leaders. The author seeks to expand research, looking at the factors influencing whether business leaders engage in apprenticeship or not. Top leaders and influencers of businesses with and without apprenticeship programs from 19 industry sectors throughout North Carolina completed an online cross-sectional survey. The results support that there is an association between worker availability, approach to skill mastery, perception of apprenticeship, and connection with the workforce development ecosystem and having or not having an apprenticeship program. The results also support that perception of apprenticeship has the strongest relative effect of whether a leader is willing to engage in the approach or not. Given the research design, causality is not determined. The study is limited by low response rate and self-reported data. Additional research targeting leaders not connected, or less connected, with the workforce ecosystem or targeting different regions would further validate the results.

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