National Apprenticeship Week: Why TIRAP Works

By Deb Bennett, Vice President, Apprenticeship, Wireless Infrastructure Association

National Apprenticeship Week is a powerful reminder that apprenticeship works – for workers looking to build real careers, and for employers who need skilled, job‑ready talent.

At the Wireless Infrastructure Association, we see that impact every day through the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP). Designed by and for the telecommunications industry, TIRAP connects paid, on‑the‑job learning with structured technical instruction – so apprentices can earn while they learn and advance as they demonstrate real-world skills.

For apprentices, TIRAP opens the door to long-term careers in wireless and broadband, complete with nationally recognized credentials and strong earning potential. For employers, it delivers a proven workforce solution that improves safety, productivity, and retention – while helping transfer critical knowledge from experienced workers to the next generation.

As the national sponsor of TIRAP, WIA supports employers every step of the way, making it easier to launch and sustain registered apprenticeship programs that meet their business needs. To date, TIRAP has supported more than 100 employers in training over 7,000 apprentices across 16 broadband and wireless occupations. Through the program, WIA has distributed $2.3 million in incentive funding, which employers use to invest directly in the development and expansion of their registered apprenticeship programs.

And, by working across the broader workforce ecosystem to align education and pre‑apprenticeship pathways with employer demand, we are expanding access and strengthening talent pipelines nationwide.

This National Apprenticeship Week, I’m proud of the employers, mentors, partners, and apprentices who are proving what’s possible when training meets opportunity. Apprenticeship builds careers – and TIRAP is helping power the future of our industry.

We’re proud to join the US Department of Labor in celebrating how Registered Apprenticeships are building America at 250. Learn more: https://www.apprenticeship.gov/national-apprenticeship-week