What is Modern Youth Apprenticeship?
Recently, the White House launched the Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative, a national network of organizations committed to expanding and diversifying apprenticeships in more than traditional occupations in the skilled trades. New York City’s Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks just committed to creating 3,000 modern youth apprenticeship opportunities for public school students over the next five years in non-traditional occupations such as IT, business operations, finance, and health care in partnership with CareerWise NYC. And here in the District, we at CareerWise DC are entering our third year with over a dozen employer partners, including Enlightened, Inc, Kastle Systems, Accenture, and Freddie Mac, nearly 50 youth apprentices from 15 public high schools (DCPS and public charter), and three pathways to high-demand, high-wage careers.
Apprenticeship programs generally – and modern youth apprenticeship specifically – are gaining traction with employers, governments, and educational leaders across the country. But as apprenticeships become an increasingly popular addition to workplaces, many employers might not know what an apprenticeship really is, how it differs from other entry-level positions, or how it can address their critical business needs.
Here are three core components of every apprenticeship, and how businesses and apprentices can mutually benefit.
PAID, ON-THE-JOB LEARNING WITH SUPERVISION
CareerWise DC, powered by CityWorks DC, is a two or three year, modern, youth apprenticeship where employers hire high school students to get deep work experience (2,000 hours or more) and intensive training (144 hours or more) to fill high-wage, high-demand jobs in fields such as information technology, finance, and business operations.
Unlike many internships, apprenticeships are paid and lead to a full-time position. By completing 2,000 hours over two to three years, apprentices take on long-term, complex tasks that are core to their employers’ business producing a local, loyal, and productive workforce that reduces the likelihood of turnover. A typical internship is shorter and less intense, and usually does not have an expectation that successful completion will lead to a full-time offer.
RELATED TRAINING INSTRUCTION (RTI)
CareerWise DC works with its employers to establish customized training plans, provide wrap-around support services, and host professional development training for apprentices so that our DC youth have the skills they need to succeed in the workplace. RTI can take many forms - an employer can a) provide instruction through their own learning platforms, b) identify external training providers, c) partner with colleges for enrollment in courses aligned to the apprenticeship, or d) offer industry-aligned certifications such as CompTIA or Microsoft. How apprentices learn the skills needed to be effective on the job is various, deliberate, and done in collaboration with employers, apprentices, and CityWorks DC.
ONGOING ASSESSMENT OF COMPETENCIES
Employers define the competencies that are critical for each occupation which the apprentice has to master in order to complete their apprenticeship. Throughout the duration of their program, apprentices are assessed regularly by their supervisor and given feedback to grow. Thus, apprenticeships are an effective way to build skill-based training for entry-level employees, while also building management skills for apprentice supervisors. In fact, supervising apprentices provides powerful development opportunities for emerging supervisors to build management skills. Through the training process, apprentices feel more connected to their employers and supervisors, which is essential to build a positive, productive corporate environment.
LEARN MORE
If you are an employer interested in hiring apprentices or learning more about what programs may be right for your business, email me at ldurant@cityworksdc.org