Apprenticeship
Hands-On Learning, Real-World Success: Apprentice with the Best
PROVIDING A FOUNDATION FOR CAREER SUCCESS
In 2023, there were 353,177 Youth Apprentices Served
Registered Apprenticeship stakeholders—employers, educators, and workforce professionals— across the country are launching apprenticeship programs serving youth, ages 16–24. These programs, often referred to as youth apprenticeship, combine technical classroom instruction with paid work experience. They provide the foundation for young people to choose multiple career pathways: enroll in college, begin employment, or choose a combination.
With Registered Apprenticeship programs serving youth:
Youth engage in work-based/experiential learning and continue in furthering their education during (dual enrollment) or after high school and/or college.
Schools find new ways to engage students, connecting them to career pathways during their secondary and post-secondary education, increasing the potential for career success.
Businesses gain access to a talent pipeline of entry-level workers to address talent shortages in the workplace.
Through partnerships with businesses, high schools, community and technical colleges, and other workforce systems, communities around the country can develop youth apprenticeship programs that make a difference in the lives of youth while supporting economic and workforce development. In 2023, there were 353,177 youth apprentices served, a dramatic increase over the past 10 years. The apprentices were particularly concentrated in construction, public administration, and educational services, which provided new opportunities for youth and ways for businesses to recruit new talent.
ELEMENTS OF APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS SERVING YOUTH
All high-quality Registered Apprenticeship programs serving youth have several key common elements.
Satisfy labor market needs of students/career seekers, businesses, local school districts, and colleges.
Address skills matching and individual assessments to promote competencies needed by businesses.
Align with the academic and technical standards in secondary and post-secondary education, as well as with portable, nationally recognized credentials and certifications.
Provide strong linkages to adult Registered Apprenticeship programs in the community.
Building on these foundational elements of success, every community has the flexibility to design their apprenticeship programs to provide quality results for their students, businesses, and schools.
TWO MODELS OF YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS
Most programs fall into one of two types of models:
1: PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH prepare students to enter a Registered Apprenticeship program.
Students take courses directly related to the apprenticeship field, in addition to their required high school coursework, which count toward high school graduation.
They participate in on-the-job learning activities (beginning at age 16), which can count toward entry into an apprenticeship program.
Students can apply to a Registered Apprenticeship program leading up to or upon high school graduation.
2: REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS THAT BEGIN IN HIGH SCHOOL, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, OR DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES allow youth to start their Apprenticeship while still a student.
Students become a registered apprentice through an agreement signed by the student, the employer, and, if under 18 years old, parent/guardian.
The work portion of the program is flexible and is done when school is not in session or through a formal work-study program.
Students take courses at their high school and/or community and technical college, in addition to their required high school coursework, which counts toward high school graduation.
Students may complete the Registered Apprenticeship program during high school or continue after graduation, depending on the program’s length. For dual enrollment students, the Registered Apprenticeship program continues and is completed at the college.
Youth may engage in pre-apprenticeship as an on-ramp to
Registered Apprenticeship. They may also access supportive
services by entering Registered Apprenticeship programs
that leverage the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act.
For additional resources to help youth learn more about
Registered Apprenticeship and learn about the youth
apprenticeship experiences, visit our Youth Apprenticeship
Page. To find an apprenticeship opportunity near you,
use our Apprenticeship Finder tool.
The U.S. Department of Labor provides support to grow youth apprenticeship. Find a Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grantee or Youth Apprenticeship Intermediary to work with on the Apprenticeship Investments webpage on apprenticeship.gov.
Explore Registered Apprenticeship Today!
Want to learn more? Visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s one-stop source for all things apprenticeship: www.apprenticeship.gov or email us at apprenticeship@dol.gov.
Apprenticeship USA
Activities
Match Interests and Careers Nonfiction Text • Vocabulary • Self-Awareness • Reflective Writing
Activities
Consider How Jobs Evolve Critical Thinking • Researching • Analyzing Nonfiction Text
Activities
Identify Hard and Soft Skills Vocabulary • Connecting & Inferring • Informative & Reflective Writing
Activities
Research How Careers Progress Predicting • Vocabulary • Nonfiction Text • Researching • Writing
Activities
Conduct and Present a Career Interview Questioning • Interviewing • Preparing & Delivering Oral Presentations
Activities
Plan Your Career Path Nonfiction Text • Researching • Self-Awareness • Creativity • Interviewing • Writing and/or Using Technology
Activities
Exploring the Future of Jobs Nonfiction Text • Career Readiness
Activities
Creating Career Dream Boards Career Readiness • Creative Presentations • Self-Reflection
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Understanding and Analyzing Soft Skills Reading Comprehension • Career Readiness • Exploratory Writing
Activities
Investigating Career Fields Research • Career Exploration • Student-Centered Learning
Activities
Researching Careers Research • Career Readiness • Creative Presentations
Activities
Developing and Presenting Oral Reports Conducting Interviews • Developing Presentations • Oral Reports
Activities
Exploring Career Paths Reading Comprehension • Career Readiness • Persuasive Writing
