Apprenticeships are generally low compensation on the understanding that gaining skills is part of the equation.
When the apprentice can't afford rent (thanks private equity) or healthcare (thanks....also private equity) or much else, the whole system breaks down.
You just don’t get to buy it with pre tax income, and most employers don’t or can’t pay enough for people to afford the premiums and out of pocket maximums. If you are young and without kids and assets to seize, you might as well ignore health insurance.
Its a Structural employment mismatch. We got a preview in 2008 with all the layoffs that became the event that pushed people out of the workforce for the rest of their lives. And there is no retraining programs, because leadership doesn't care. K-type recovery is fine for them
Stem and service jobs could have easily been filled, but leadership would rather ship those overseas.