What do we mean by Youth Apprenticeship?
Registered Apprenticeship stakeholders— employers, educators, and workforce professionals— across the country are launching apprenticeship programs that serve youth, ages 16–24. These programs, often referred to as youth apprenticeship, combine technical classroom instruction with paid work experience.
Youth Apprenticeship Week
The first Youth Apprenticeship Week took place May 5-11, 2024. Building off the success of National Apprenticeship Week, Youth Apprenticeship Week (YAW) is a nationwide celebration that highlights the benefits and value of Registered Apprenticeship program opportunities for youth, ages 16–24. Employers, educators, labor unions, workforce professionals, and their partners across the country are launching Registered Apprenticeship programs that allow youth to earn competitive wages while obtaining the relevant training and experience to start their careers, often including the opportunity to earn college credit. YAW is an opportunity for these stakeholders and others to host events across the country to bring awareness of these life-changing Registered Apprenticeship career opportunities for youth and how they create a sustainable pipeline of skilled and diverse talent for the jobs of today and tomorrow for critical industries.
- Read the Youth Apprenticeship Week report, which provides a snapshot of the activities that took place in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico from May 5-11, 2024 that celebrated and brought awareness to youth apprenticeship opportunities.
- Visit the Youth Apprenticeship Week webpage.
Help Middle School Students Explore Apprenticeship
It’s not too early for middle school students to start thinking about their future careers and learn how an apprenticeship can serve as a foundation for jumpstarting their careers. The U.S. Department of Labor has collaborated with Scholastic to develop materials to introduce middle school students, parents, and teachers to future careers and apprenticeships. Visit Scholastic’s apprenticeship webpage to download all apprenticeship-related program materials and view profiles of current youth apprentices.
See High School Apprenticeship Programs in Action
Check out these videos of current high school apprenticeship programs that are providing meaningful learning opportunities for students.
Apprenticeship Can Give You the Confidence Necessary for Work and School
Learn how Anahel was able to achieve her goals through Registered Apprenticeship.
Helping His Grandmother Led to an HVAC Career
Learn how Braden's love for helping his grandmother tuned into an HVAC Career.
CareerWise Apprentice Stories
Hear about why apprentices chose an Registered Apprenticeship in high school.
Modern Youth Apprenticeship | JPMorgan Chase and Accenture
Learn how Registered Apprenticeship provides opportunities for underprivileged youth.
Dell Apprenticeships
Learn how Registered Apprenticeships at Dell in Oklahoma City helps youth apprentices gain life skills and grow their careers.
Goodwill Apprentice Skills Transition Throughout Retail Industry
Learn how the Goodwill Industries Registered Apprenticeship program helped Eric Dixon launch his career while still earning a salary.
Healthcare Pathways in Highline School District
Students are getting career and college experience through in various healthcare professions through the Seattle Youth Apprenticeship program.
Youth Apprenticeship in Denver Public Schools
Discover how this Colorado school district co-created an innovation space to bring apprenticeship and work-based learning to their study body and community.
Charlotte Youth Apprenticeship
Hear from high school students, mentors, teachers, and employers in North Carolina about the benefits of hands-on learning and youth apprenticeship.
Launch a Youth Apprenticeship Program
Through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, the School Superintendents Association (AASA) developed a series of tools designed to inspire new Youth Apprenticeship programs. Check out the AASA Youth Apprenticeship Toolkit designed to help secondary and community college administrators advocate for and build apprenticeship programs.
Evaluation of the Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grants
- Models of Youth Registered Apprenticeship Expansion: Evidence from the Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grants
- This report describes the experiences of the DOL-funded Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grantees (YARG) and organizes the grantees into a typology of youth apprenticeship expansion models.
- Youth Apprenticeship in the United States: Apprenticeship Evidence-Building Portfolio
- This report describes the state of youth apprenticeship in the United States, reviews existing state youth apprenticeship systems, and describes the organization and partnerships of the Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grantees.
Explore Additional Resources for Starting a Youth Apprenticeship Program
- Improving Inclusion in Registered Apprenticeship Programs for Neurodivergent Youth
- Department of Labor Training and Employment Notice: Framework on Registered Apprenticeship for High School Students
- Iowa's Registered Apprenticeship Program: State Playbook for High School Registered Apprenticeship
- Fair Labor Standards Act Factsheet: Information for Interns and Students Working for For-profit Employers
- National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Toolkit: Equity in Youth Apprenticeship Programs
- Advance CTE Report: Improving Youth Apprenticeship Data Quality
- Urban Institute: Mentor Guide for Youth Registered Apprenticeship Programs
- CareerWise: The Options Multiplier: Decoding the CareerWise Youth Apprentice Journey
- Other Department of Labor Youth Programs
- Leveraging Registered Apprenticeships for K-12 Teacher Careers