Apprenticeships are having a moment. Supporters on both the right and the left say the “earn while you learn” approach can help create a more skilled workforce, provide a path to solid, middle-class careers, and serve as a needed corrective to the “college for all” push that has left some students with piles of debt and no obvious career.

In this APM Reports documentary, we ask: How can apprenticeships expand to include careers beyond the traditional trades and reach new populations searching for a foothold in the middle class?