How Governors Scale High-Quality Youth Apprenticeship. White Paper

The outlook for high school graduates who have no postsecondary or industry-recognized credentials can appear bleak. Today, it is critical that young people obtain at least some training beyond high school to succeed in the job market. States bear a cost, too, when this is not achieved: They have a less skilled workforce to attract business investment and must allocate limited federal and state resources to more social services for their unemployed and underemployed youth. That is why governors are considering youth apprenticeship to connect more young people to career paths at an earlier age, while at the same time filling businesses' unmet workforce needs. Youth apprenticeship offers paid, hands-on work experience and related classroom instruction that result in postsecondary or industry-recognized credentials. Youth apprenticeship programs often remain underused, especially in high-growth, white-collar industries, but governors are exploring ways to guide development and expansion of these programs. This white paper explores three strategies that governors can use to expand youth apprenticeship: (1) Act as a public champion by setting a statewide vision and convening stakeholders to collaboratively implement that vision; (2) Allocate and use dedicated funding to start and expand programs that support youth apprentices and guide them through their career pathways; and (3) Implement policies that provide long-term support for high-quality youth apprenticeship programs. The governors of Colorado, Kentucky, Maryland and North Carolina have used these strategies to successfully develop and expand youth apprenticeship in their states. These states are highlighted in the case studies presented in this paper, which offer insights to inform other governors' efforts to expand youth apprenticeship and further connect high school education to workforce preparation and high-quality employment opportunities.