The PAYA Network: Mapping the Field of Youth Apprenticeship

Created by New America in 2018, the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder initiative that expands economic opportunity by assisting innovative organizations around the country in developing robust youth apprenticeship programs that are scaled and replicated to serve students, employers and communities alike. Since launch, PAYA has supported the work of more than 50 place-based partnerships across the U.S. through a combination of grants and technical assistance delivered through the PAYA Network.

New America launched the PAYA Network in 2019 as an invitation-only learning collaborative designed to recognize, connect, and support high-potential youth apprenticeship partnerships in cities, regions, and states across the US. In 2021, PAYA expanded the Network as part of its commitment to supporting the development of youth apprenticeship, and in response to the growing interest from emerging programs and partnerships across the United States.

PAYA Network sites are building the emerging field of youth apprenticeship by expanding high-quality youth apprenticeship opportunities that reflect the PAYA National Definition & Principles for High-Quality Youth Apprenticeship. Through activities such as national workgroups, networking sessions, the PAYA Network Learning Series, and the PAYA Newsletter, PAYA and its national partners create opportunities for Network Members to connect and work together to surface best practices and co-develop solutions to shared challenges. Ultimately, the Network aims to support members’ efforts to promote inclusive economic growth through the expansion of high-quality youth apprenticeship.

We encourage you to explore the map and table to learn more about and connect with the members of the PAYA Network. You can browse the map and explore the table by using the search box or filter to find the partnerships or industries from around the country that interest you.

To stay up to date on the activities of the PAYA Grantees and Network, visit newamerica.org/paya or stay connected to the initiative’s progress by following the #PAYA hashtag on Twitter at @NewAmericaEd.

PAYA is comprised of the following National Partner organizations: Advance CTE, CareerWise Colorado, Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeships at Trident Technical College, Education Strategy Group, JFF, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, and the National Governors Association.

We would like to thank the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Ballmer Group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Joyce Foundation, JP Morgan Chase & Co., the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Siemens Foundation, Smidt Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation for their generous support of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship. In addition, we would like to thank New America Communications staffers Riker Pasterkiewicz, Julie Brosnan, Maria Elkin, and Naomi Morduch Toubman for their graphics, layout, and communications support.