State Policy Playbook To Advance Youth Apprenticeship

This playbook outlines approaches state leaders can take to enable and support the expansion of youth apprenticeship within a larger work-based learning and career readiness ecosystem. The actions discussed here can also advance other forms of work-based learning and apprenticeship for youth and adults, in addition to youth apprenticeship.

Work-based learning opportunities for young people, particularly youth apprenticeship, have demonstrated lasting positive impacts on participants’ careers and can be designed to uplift systemically disadvantaged populations. High-quality programs also deliver a return on investment to participating employers by developing a stable pipeline of young, diverse talent eager to learn and can drive productivity and innovation. Increasing postsecondary credential attainment has a return on investment for the public and public systems, and jobs requiring training beyond high school are growing twice as fast as those without training requirements. Meanwhile, people with a postsecondary non-degree credential experience a higher full-time employment rate and a median annual income of $15,000 higher than those without.

The benefits of work-based learning opportunities are best realized through the development of high-quality youth apprenticeship programs, which mirror the criteria for high-quality registered apprenticeships. The four elements identified through research are:

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

(This resource is 24 pages long.)

(The resource was published in 2022.)

The researchers proposed the following recommendations in the Playbook:

• Establish a statewide vision and definitions for work-based learning and youth apprenticeship.
• Establish a statewide governance structure for work-based learning and youth apprenticeship.
• Champion youth apprenticeship and other forms of work-based learning.
• Improve systems alignment across K-12 education, postsecondary education, and workforce development to support greater access to opportunity and improve career readiness and equity among high school graduates.
• Use data to inform program creation, implementation, and accountability for continuous improvement in outcomes for students and employers.
• Establish new mechanisms to engage employers in work-based learning and youth apprenticeship programs.
• Reduce logistical, regulatory, and financial barriers to employer participation.
• Leverage existing resources and identify new resources for youth apprenticeship program development, growth, and sustainability.

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2022
• Author(s): Morang, J; Stephens, R.; White, T.; Tesfai, L.
• Funding Source: National Governors Association (NGA), Center for Best Practices
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies