Dr. Robert Lerman, a distinguished economist and pioneering educator, has transformed the thinking of policymakers on the need to widen routes to rewarding careers. As a professor emeritus of economics at American University, senior fellow at the Urban Institute, and co-founder of Apprenticeships for America, Dr. Lerman has been a tireless advocate for apprenticeships, an “earn, produce, and learn” approach that can compete with and complement traditional college education.