Challenge

Today an estimated 6 million young people ages 16-24 are disconnected from the workforce and education systems. Pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship are effective and supportive training models that can help youth re-engage in these opportunities and find a path to a career. However, much of our apprenticeship system is designed for adults. Many parents, teachers, community leaders, and employers are unaware that apprenticeship is a viable option for young people. As a result, many young people themselves are missing out on opportunities to take part in a form of work-based learning that’s widely recognized as an effective way to prepare for quality jobs.  

Approach

JFF and several partners with apprenticeship expertise launched the Next-Generation Apprenticeship for Next-Generation Talent initiative in 2022. The goal is to help build a workforce and education system in which all young people ages 16-24 in the United States have improved and equitable awareness of and access to career opportunities that begin with pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) training. The work, which focuses on high school students as well as youth who are not in school or working, is supported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship Building America grant program. 

Results

The initiative, which runs through June 2026, has three goals: 

• Prepare 1,000 young people, especially members of populations underrepresented in quality jobs, for entry into pre-apprenticeship and RA programs that put them on pathways to quality jobs. 
• Establish 12 new RA programs and 15 new pre-apprenticeship programs. 
• Expand 15 existing RA programs and 10 existing pre-apprenticeship programs.