In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) launched the first Federal Youth Apprentice Pathway program. The program focuses on ways the federal agencies can partner with Registered Apprenticeship Intermediaries to create high-quality career pathways to good federal jobs—with apprentices gaining valuable career training and experience working in the federal Offices of Apprenticeship, Workforce Investment, and Job Corps.
Key features of the new federal program:
Job Duties of Apprentices
The Workforce Project Apprentice (USAJobs occupation title Student Trainee — Workforce) provides support to staff with various ETA workforce development and youth-related program and administrative duties that support program operations and strategy. Job duties can include:
The ETA provides a variety of programs to ensure that all youth have the skills and training to successfully make the transition to adulthood and careers:
As reported by the Urban Institute, some one-third of apprentices in the U.S. are between 16-24 years old at registration (30-40% of apprentices in any given year); a much smaller portion of apprentices are 16-18 years old.
Young people confront numerous challenges as they transition from school to work. These include high unemployment and underemployment, tight hiring requirements for higher-paying middle-skills jobs, and increasing costs for college. Registered Apprenticeship offer opportunities for youth to acquire valuable occupational skills while earning wages. These opportunities are designed to help reduce the challenges that many young people face in seeking employment.
For all apprenticeship programs, coordination is important among the key partners in programs (sponsors, employers, providers of related technical instruction) — and coordination is more important when working with youth. Employers and high schools must work together to design flexible schedules so students can complete high school diploma requirements and required on- the-job training (OJT) hours for Registered Apprenticeships. When related technical instruction is delivered at a community or technical college, the colleges and high schools may need to work to provide dual (concurrent) credit opportunities. Parents too may need additional information on apprenticeships.
To facilitate needed coordination among the partners in apprenticeship programs, a youth apprenticeship coordinator is often designated by the school system and/or a Registered Apprenticeship Intermediary. The role of the intermediary is to communicate among the partners and take on tasks such as student and employer matching, participant and employer recruitment, and managing registration. The intermediary role can be taken by high schools, community and technical colleges, nonprofit organizations, state agencies, or workforce development councils.
American Job Finder Center: https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/AmericanJobCenters/find-american-job-centers.aspx
Apprenticeship Occupations: https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-occupations
Employment and Training Administration
https://www.apprenticeship.gov/educators/federal-youth-apprentice-pathway-program
https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-job-finder
Kuehn, D.; Payne, J.; & Trutko, J. (January 2023). Research Report: Youth Apprenticeship in the United States — Apprenticeship Evidence-Building Portfolio. Urban Institute Capital Research Corporation. https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/publications/ETAOP_2023_04_Youth_Apprenticeship_in_the_U.S.-White_Paper.pdf
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