Youth Apprenticeship

Governors and other state leaders play a critical role in shaping a policy landscape that facilitates efforts to increase the availability of high-quality youth apprenticeship pathways.


During a time of increased concern over worker shortages, skill gaps and workforce readiness, youth apprenticeship has emerged as an important strategy to prepare the future workforce and meet the needs of the evolving economy, to build consistent and diverse talent pipelines and to improve career prospects and economic outcomes for learners.

Governors and other state leaders play a critical role in shaping a policy landscape that facilitates, rather than complicates or impedes, efforts to increase the availability of high-quality youth apprenticeship pathways into family-sustaining careers or further postsecondary education.

Creating this environment requires policies that broadly support career readiness ecosystems by improving connections and alignment across education and workforce systems, as well as policies that specifically uplift youth apprenticeship programs and facilitate greater student, employer and partner participation.

For more information on NGA’s work on youth apprenticeship please contact our Workforce Development and Economic Policy team at: workforcedevelopment@nga.org

Youth Apprenticeship Definition

According to the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship, a youth apprenticeship is a structured, work-based learning program designed to start when apprentices are in high school. High-quality youth apprenticeship programs are built on partnerships that include employers, high schools, and providers of postsecondary education, most often a community college. High-quality youth apprenticeship programs include the following four elements:

  • Paid, on-the-job learning under the supervision of skilled employee mentors,
  • Related classroom-based or technical instruction,
  • Ongoing assessment against established skills and competencies and
  • Culmination in a portable, industry-recognized credential and postsecondary credit.

Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship

As a national partner in the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA), the NGA Center for Best Practices is assisting states and territories develop and implement policy agendas that advance high-quality youth apprenticeship opportunities. Through the Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship, states receive technical assistance, participate in programming to develop a clearer understanding of the national policy landscape and state policy options for advancing youth apprenticeship and engage in peer learning opportunities.


Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship States

States in the Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship include: Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, and Utah.

Alabama
Colorado
Indiana
Kansas
North Carolina
Utah


PAYA National Partners


NGA Youth Apprenticeship Library

Featured: State Policy Playbook to Advance Youth Apprenticeship

By supporting and expanding youth apprenticeship programs, states can create stronger connections across secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, workforce development systems and community-based organizations. This state policy playbook lays out several actions Governors can take to foster high-quality youth apprenticeship.

Governors Continue Exploring Innovative Methods to Scale Youth Apprenticeship
With employers in virtually every economic sector in desperate need of talent, Governors are looking to youth apprenticeship programs to provide young residents with a high-quality pathway into the workforce ...
Building Systems for Success: Key Considerations for Youth Apprenticeship System Design
In most states, youth apprenticeship systems are relatively new and are still evolving in response to the needs of students, employers, and partners. (Download) The National Governors Association Center for ...
Advancing Apprenticeship: Opportunities For States And Business To Create And Expand Registered Apprenticeship Programs
This publication highlights the significance of Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) as one of several strategies and opportunities that employers and states can implement and offer to individuals as a viable ...
NGA Center Launches Policy Academy to Advance Youth Apprenticeship
In partnership with New America, the NGA Center will deliver technical assistance to the six states that were competitively selected to participate in the Policy Academy as they develop and ...
6 States Selected to Participate in NGA Youth Apprenticeship Policy Academy
National Governors Association to Work with Alabama, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, and Utah to help them develop and implement policy agendas that advance high-quality youth apprenticeship opportunities. Additional states ...
How Governors are Supporting Apprenticeship, Youth Apprenticeship and Other Forms of Work-Based Learning
Lessons From NGA Center’s Workforce Symposiums By Jordan Morang The bi-annual NGA Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) Workforce Symposiums provide an opportunity for state workforce leaders to address the ...
Action Lab on Youth Apprenticeship
In its role as a national partner in the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted a virtual action lab on ...
State Strategies to Foster Inclusive Apprenticeships for People with Disabilities
Building inclusive apprenticeship programs for people with disabilities is a proven strategy that can lead to strong wages, a pathway to future career opportunities and sustainable permanent employment in high-quality ...
State Policy Playbook To Advance Youth Apprenticeship
By supporting and expanding youth apprenticeship programs, states can create stronger connections across secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, workforce development systems and community-based organizations. (Download) Executive Summary During a time ...
States Bolster Transportation Workforce through Apprenticeship Programs
The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices is working with four states – Connecticut, Idaho, Oregon and North Carolina – to utilize IIJA funds to scale pre-apprenticeship and ...
The Key Role of Community Colleges in Scaling Apprenticeship Programs Statewide
This webinar highlights outcomes of the ECCA initiative and the key role that community colleges play, in partnership with Governors, to scale apprenticeship programs statewide. Community colleges are essential partners ...
Leveraging Registered Apprenticeship to Build a Thriving and Inclusive Economy
Ensuring that every resident can get into well-paying, stable careers through accessible, affordable education and training is a top priority for the nation’s Governors, as is creating an economic climate ...
Governors’ Leadership Remains Key to Advancing Apprenticeship in America
Targeted investment and state leadership have driven the expansion of registered apprenticeship into new sectors in addition to scaling the model in sectors where it was more traditionally used. By ...
Strengthening Employer And Industry Engagement: A Self-Assessment Tool for Youth Apprenticeship Leaders
This self-assessment tool is designed to help youth apprenticeship program administrators and policymakers determine how effectively a program is engaging employers and industry to meet program development, implementation, and sustainability ...
(View/Download) Executive Summary The outlook for high school graduates who have no postsecondary or industry-recognized credentials can appear bleak. Today, it is critical that young people obtain at least some ...