From Options to Action

Taking Action

As you move forward in your youth apprenticeship journey, the steps below can help you build the relationships and access the resources you need to move from ideation to action.

  1. Engage with your state office of apprenticeship and grow your knowledge of your state’s apprenticeship structure. This will help ensure that the programs you design and scale align with state-specific policies, regulations, and requirements, and programs that may already exist in your area. You can find out if your state has its own State Apprenticeship Agency or falls under the purview of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Apprenticeship here.
  2. Share your assessment results with your partners to support the development of a shared vision for your youth apprenticeship efforts. Having a clear understanding across stakeholders of the right model to align with, the required components or elements, and the overarching goals will ensure that programs are effective and sustainable.
  3. Stay grounded in the requirements of pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship to support final decision-making and design work.
  4. Embed the quality principles of youth apprenticeship into your programs, regardless of the model you choose. This will support quality design, access, retention, and connections to meaningful post-training opportunities for all youth who participate.
  5. Collaborate with a broad range of partners as you build and grow your program. This includes workforce entities, education providers, employers and industry associations, intermediaries, community-based organizations, and state agencies. These partners can help you build and implement programming, access resources, embed credentials, and provide wraparound supports and services to young people.

Youth apprenticeships are a powerful and important strategy for in-school youth and young people ages 16 to 24 who aren’t in school and aren’t working, often referred to as “opportunity youth.” These programs are proven to increase access to quality jobs, career advancement, and postsecondary education. The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship at New America and The Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning at Jobs for the Future can offer additional resources and support to help you build and scale the high-quality youth apprenticeship programs you are envisioning.

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Engaging with New America

Learn more about PAYA and connect with New America.

Engaging with JFF

Learn more about connecting with JFF’s Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning.

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Related Content

You can find additional tools, case studies, and guidance in these related resources
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PAYA Resource Library

The Resource Library is our searchable database of the best youth apprenticeship resources from our National Partners and our network of apprenticeship intermediaries from across the country.
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JFF Center for Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning

Expanding and creating access to high-quality apprenticeship and work-based learning.
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Pre-Registered Apprenticeship TEN 23-23

This TEN defines quality pre-apprenticeship programs, shows how they expand access to Registered Apprenticeships, and shares examples of strong programs.
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U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Requirements

Registered Apprenticeship is an industry-led, paid training model that helps employers build a skilled workforce through structured learning, mentorship, classroom instruction, and nationally recognized credentials.
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PAYA’s Principles for High-Quality Youth Apprenticeship

What is youth apprenticeship? How can I launch one? This guide houses our foundational resources on youth apprenticeship.
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JFF’s Framework for High-Quality Pre-Apprenticeship

This pre-apprenticeship framework outlines the six essential elements of a high-quality pre-apprenticeship program with a focus on CTE.

PAYA logo with a multicolored triangle as the letter "A". Text below reads: "Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship.

Led by New America, the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to assist innovative organizations around the country in developing robust youth apprenticeship programs that are scaled and replicated to serve students, employers and communities alike. PAYA is comprised of seven National Partner organizations: Advance CTE, CareerWise Colorado, Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship, Education Strategy Group, JFF, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, and the National Governors Association. PAYA is supported by funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Carnegie Corporation of New York, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Siemens Foundation, Smidt Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation.