It is with tremendous pride that we present this Annual Report, chronicling another year of growth for Registered Apprenticeship (RA) in Virginia as an established part of Virginia Works. Over the past twelve months we have continued to expand Registered Apprenticeship across the Commonwealth while strengthening the quality, rigor, and policy framework that make it such a powerful workforce development tool.

Virginia now supports more than 16,000 active apprentices reflecting sustained focus, effort, and investment. This year the program secured and deployed significant new funding and forged national partnerships: additional rounds of the HIRED Apprenticeship Fund for high-demand employers, a $4.6 million Rural Health “Earn to Learn" initiative to grow allied-health apprentices in rural communities, continued build-out of the Registered Teacher and Principal Apprenticeship pathways with the Department of Education, selection as one of ten states in the inaugural “Apprenticeship America" youth-apprenticeship cohort, and the launch of a statewide Virginia Apprenticeship Intermediary Network supported by the Strada Education Foundation.

Beyond expansion, we focused on strengthening the policy foundation that supports Registered Apprenticeship. During the year the Council finalized Virginia's interstate reciprocity policy (March 2026), the credit-for-prior-learning policy (January 2026), intermediary development, and the transition to an all-digital RAPIDS registration and completion process (January 2026). We also modernized our digital front door — relaunching a redesigned Registered Apprenticeship website and a public Active Apprenticeships Dashboard — and marked a milestone in collaboration: in March, the Council held its first-ever joint meeting with the Virginia Board of Workforce Development, engaging the Commonwealth's workforce board directly in the apprenticeship growth strategy. These steps ensure that Virginia's apprenticeship system is not only growing but evolving to meet the needs of a modern economy.

As you review this report, I hope you will see not just data and statistics, but the individual stories behind them — apprentices launching careers, employers building skilled workforces, and communities strengthening their economies. That is the true measure of our success and the inspiration for our continued efforts.

With gratitude,

Nicole Overley

Commissioner, Virginia Works
Secretary, Virginia Apprenticeship Council