Economic changes in the United States over the past decade and growing concerns about the state of education have led many people to look for successful models for workplace education. As a result, there is a new and deeper interest in apprenticeship training. The form and practice of apprenticeship has changed little over time. Today, as always, young people who seek mastery of a particular trade or skill are trained by experienced practitioners over a period of years, typically 3-5 years before "journeyman" status is reached. Apprenticeship training combines hands-on training, classroom work, and practical work experience, and it is governed by formal standards. The elements of the training are always changing to meet changing conditions. Today the AFL-CIO trains 80 to 90 percent of all registered apprentics in the United States. The training is provided through jointly administered, local union-management apprenticeship committees which help union workers acquire high-level, high-pay skills, and these in turn help to ensure employers a steady stream of highly qualified employees. Centralized funding ensures that training standards are met nationally, while providing training materials at lower cost than if they were produced locally. Instructor training is provided through colleges or universities to journeyworkers who train apprentices. Since the early 1970s, minority groups have increasingly entered union apprenticeship programs; today 22 percent of registered apprentices are minorities and 7 percent are women. Union-sponsored and union-related apprenticeship training for entry workers and skill upgrading for experienced workers will help the nation meet the looming skill shortage of the 1990s. (KC)