Aligning Youth Apprenticeship and Career and Technical Education: Present Connections and Future Opportunities. Research Report
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| Title: | Aligning Youth Apprenticeship and Career and Technical Education: Present Connections and Future Opportunities. Research Report |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Deborah Kobes, Shruti Nayak, Urban Institute |
| Source: | Urban Institute. 2025. |
| Availability: | Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 28 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | New America |
| Document Type: | Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | High Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Youth, Apprenticeships, Career and Technical Education, High School Students, Program Design, Career Development, Credits, Academic Degrees, Credentials, Data Collection, Manufacturing Industry, Technical Occupations, Health Services, Human Services |
| Abstract: | Career and technical education (CTE) and apprenticeship share many common goals, combining workplace skills with academic knowledge. Yet, until recently, CTE and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) were entirely separate systems in the United States. CTE programs are embedded in secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, while RA has historically served adult workers. This began to shift a decade ago when several states began investing in youth apprenticeship programs, which was then amplified by the launch of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship in 2018 and accelerated in 2019 by federal investments in Registered Apprenticeship Programs for youth. As governments increase investment in youth apprenticeship programs and school districts face mounting pressure to deliver both academic and workforce outcomes for young people, high-school-based RA programs are emerging as a promising solution. Critical questions remain regarding how these programs are designed, where they thrive, who they serve, and what it takes to scale them effectively. This report examines the available, although limited, data from emerging high-school-based RA programs to see how they already align and could better serve CTE programming and goals. With further alignment, CTE-based apprenticeships can become a scalable model serving the goals of both systems and their students. We recommend that high-school-based (hereafter, HS-based) apprenticeship programs seek out CTE programs to support expansion into a wider range of occupations and to recruit a more diverse population of apprentices. CTE programs can benefit from the more in-depth career experiences available to HS-based apprentices, particularly in manufacturing and digital technology where HS-based apprenticeships already have a foothold. We also recommend two core data improvements to better track and analyze the performance of HS-based apprenticeship programs. First, the RA system should collect information on the following: whether programs are based at a high school; any credits, degrees, or credentials earned; and connections to postsecondary educational institutions. Second, states should establish structures to combine data from CTE participants with RA data and include these data within their statewide longitudinal data systems. [This report was funded by New America through the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA).] |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED677491 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Career and technical education (CTE) and apprenticeship share many common goals, combining workplace skills with academic knowledge. Yet, until recently, CTE and Registered Apprenticeship (RA) were entirely separate systems in the United States. CTE programs are embedded in secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, while RA has historically served adult workers. This began to shift a decade ago when several states began investing in youth apprenticeship programs, which was then amplified by the launch of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship in 2018 and accelerated in 2019 by federal investments in Registered Apprenticeship Programs for youth. As governments increase investment in youth apprenticeship programs and school districts face mounting pressure to deliver both academic and workforce outcomes for young people, high-school-based RA programs are emerging as a promising solution. Critical questions remain regarding how these programs are designed, where they thrive, who they serve, and what it takes to scale them effectively. This report examines the available, although limited, data from emerging high-school-based RA programs to see how they already align and could better serve CTE programming and goals. With further alignment, CTE-based apprenticeships can become a scalable model serving the goals of both systems and their students. We recommend that high-school-based (hereafter, HS-based) apprenticeship programs seek out CTE programs to support expansion into a wider range of occupations and to recruit a more diverse population of apprentices. CTE programs can benefit from the more in-depth career experiences available to HS-based apprentices, particularly in manufacturing and digital technology where HS-based apprenticeships already have a foothold. We also recommend two core data improvements to better track and analyze the performance of HS-based apprenticeship programs. First, the RA system should collect information on the following: whether programs are based at a high school; any credits, degrees, or credentials earned; and connections to postsecondary educational institutions. Second, states should establish structures to combine data from CTE participants with RA data and include these data within their statewide longitudinal data systems. [This report was funded by New America through the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA).] |
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