Apprenticeship is one of several approaches to work-based learning (WBL). Apprenticeships have all the features needed to prepare workers for occupations that require extended study to attain competence. Apprentices begin with relatively simple tasks and progress to those requiring more complex skills. Apprenticeship has had a long history in the United States giving workers the opportunity to learn a trade while they earn. This article looks at the scope of apprenticeship today, and why it remains an invaluable form of work-based learning. (Contains 9 endnotes.)