June 30, 2026
JFF shares outcomes and key learnings from its DOL-funded four-year initiative, Next-Generation Apprenticeship for Next-Generation Talent, to expand access to pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship for young people, ages 16-24.
The Jobs for the Future (JFF) Apprenticeship Building America (ABA) initiative, Next-Generation Apprenticeship for Next-Generation Talent, is part of a national investment by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to strengthen, modernize, and expand the Registered Apprenticeship (RA) system. With grant funding from the U.S. DOL, JFF worked with partners across 24 states to build and expand pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs (RAPs) that open high-quality pathways for in-school and out-of-school youth ages 16–24.
Grounded in a commitment to economic advancement, this work aimed to ensure that young people, regardless of their prior connections to education or work, can access, succeed in, and progress through apprenticeship opportunities that lead to family-sustaining careers.
JFF set ambitious goals for the Next-Generation Apprenticeship for Next-Generation Talent Initiative, designed to expand access to the apprenticeship system for youth and young adults, including:
Launching 12 new RAPs and expanding 15 existing programs, as well as launching 15 new pre-apprenticeships and growing 10 existing pre-apprenticeship programs.
Expanding and strengthening pre-apprenticeship training as an effective on-ramp into RAPs for youth and young adults. These efforts were designed not only to increase the number of youth served, but also to spur the adoption of youth-centered program designs and local ecosystem models that braid education, workforce, and community resources in ways that meet young people where they are.
Serving 1000 youth and young adult participants, with at least 400 enrolling in RAPs. This includes 900 pre-apprentices, of whom at least 300 were expected to continue into RAPs, and 100 young people who would enroll directly into RAP.
This report summarizes findings from research conducted to explore what characteristics influence whether young people move into RAPs, what outcomes youth experience through pre-apprenticeship participation beyond transition into RA, how program design, curriculum, and support services shape transition success and other outcomes, and what challenges and opportunities employers encounter when hiring graduates of pre-apprenticeship programs.
Hear from our partners and youth apprentices about the value of these pathways and how JFF helped accelerate their progress.
As of February 2026, JFF’s ABA grant made important progress in expanding pathways for young people:
Through the ABA grant, JFF worked with partners across 24 states to build and expand pre-apprenticeship and RAPs that open high-quality pathways for in-school and out-of-school youth ages 16–24. Of the states in the JFF ABA service area, a few had particularly high rates of completers who went on to RAPs, including Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
JFF was proud to partner with nine youth-serving organizations to expand access to pre-apprenticeship and RA to youth ages 16-24:
JFF Helps JEVS Build and Scale Apprenticeship Pathways
Educate Maine Scales Apprenticeship Throughout the State
Catalyst Kitchens: Building a National Movement for Trauma-Informed Culinary Training
From Local Impact to Regional Growth: Goodwill of North Georgia’s Apprenticeship Expansion Strategy
This report summarizes findings from research conducted to explore answers to the following questions:
What individual characteristics (e.g., demographics, prior experience, region, motivation) influence whether young people move into RA?
What are the other outcomes for youth who participate in pre-apprenticeship programs outside of transitioning into RA?
How do program design, curriculum, and support services impact transition success and other outcomes?
What challenges and opportunities do employers face when hiring pre-apprenticeship graduates?
The following primary data sources informed these findings:
An online survey was completed by 13 young people who had recently finished pre‑apprenticeship programs in fields such as health care, information technology, construction, automotive, maintenance, and office/software in multiple U.S. states.
An online survey was completed by 9 employers and supervisors from small and mid‑sized organizations in trades and marine/aquaculture‑related sectors in a single U.S. region. Respondents included direct supervisors, owners and managers, program supervisors, and human resources or hiring staff.
A separate online survey was completed by 14 staff from pre‑apprenticeship, RA, and intermediary organizations working with youth ages 16–24. Respondents included regional managers, outreach directors, workforce development directors, participant services managers, and program managers. Sectors spanned health care, IT, construction, hospitality, warehousing/logistics, customer service and retail, aquaculture, automotive, banking, manufacturing, and others.
The team also examined administrative and survey data collected through AGS Prime that covered a larger cohort of pre‑apprentices, focusing on program status, RA progression, and basic demographics.
One youth interview with a participant in a healthcare‑focused pre‑apprenticeship program that combined classroom, lab‑based, and online instruction.
Two interviews with employer and training‑provider representatives, including a media and creative industries provider and a small arts venue that hosts technical apprentices.
This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, as part of the Apprenticeship Building America grant totaling $5,310,000, with $2,003,460 financed from non-federal sources.
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