Bank of America is betting big on workers who never finished a four-year degree, announcing plans to hire 1,000 additional apprentices over the next two years while pouring $150 million into organizations that help people build job skills and find employment. The Charlotte-based bank already brings on roughly 800 apprentices annually, and this expansion signals it wants that pipeline to grow even faster.
Bank of America’s apprenticeship expansion will add 1,000 roles over the next two years, according to Investing.com, and specifically targets workers without a four-year college degree, as WSOC-TV reports. The bank’s $25-per-hour minimum wage rose from $15 an hour in 2017, per Banking Dive.
A $150 Million Workforce Investment
The new $150 million commitment will support organizations that help people build job skills and find employment.
The bank has said roughly 40% of its current workforce hires lack a bachelor's degree.
A Bigger National Shift
Bank of America's move fits a broader pattern reshaping corporate hiring nationwide. Job market data from Indeed found that by late 2025, only 19% of U.S. job postings required a bachelor's degree, while 51% carried no formal educational requirement at all, according to Forbes Councils.
How Apprenticeships Work
Paid apprenticeships combine work and instruction.
Bank of America is Charlotte-based. It has previously backed skills-based programs beyond banking too, including a Miami horticulture apprenticeship push with Miami Dade College.
Open questions remain about how the program will play out over time. It is not yet clear how retention and promotion rates for non-degreed apprentices will compare with those of traditional campus recruits, or whether technical roles in fields like cybersecurity and IT will require additional internal training.
