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About PAYA

Expanding youth apprenticeship is a strategy for building a more inclusive economy by connecting the learning needs of students with the talent needs of industry. The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) is a multi-year, collaborative initiative that supports states and cities in their efforts to expand access to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for high school age youth.

About Our Partnership

The Partnership convenes and mobilizes the expertise, experience, and collective networks of national, state, and regional partners to:

  • Support place-based partnerships to increase the number of youth apprenticeship programs aligned to PAYA’s Definition & Principles for High Quality Youth Apprenticeship
  • Facilitate learning and innovation to support the wide-scale adoption of best practices and enabling policies across a growing field
  • Strengthen the case and evidence base for youth apprenticeship to raise awareness and to mobilize policy, action and investment.

This initiative is part of New America’s broader research and advocacy efforts around postsecondary pathways for youth, which aims to promote greater alignment across public K–12, higher education, and workforce systems with the goal of improving educational and economic outcomes for youth and young adults.

About the PAYA Network

The PAYA Network is an invitation-only learning collaborative designed to recognize, connect, and support high-potential youth apprenticeship partnerships in cities, regions, and states across the US.

Since its launch, in 2019 PAYA has supported the work of more than 90 place-based partnerships across the U.S. through a combination of grants and technical assistance delivered through the PAYA Network. 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.

We encourage you to explore the map and table to learn more about and connect with the members of the PAYA Network!

Can I join the network?

PAYA accepts new members on a semi-annual basis. Subscribe to our monthly PAYA Newsletter to receive a reminder for our next round. We plan to invite new members at the times below:

  • December 2026
  • June 2027

Our Funders

We would like to thank our generous funders: the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Carnegie Corporation of New York, JP Morgan Chase & Co., the Siemens Foundation, the Smidt Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation.

The PAYA Network

PAYA Resource Library

New America and the PAYA National Partners collaborate to understand and disseminate better information about the conditions and strategies necessary for success and sustainability of youth apprenticeship partnerships.

Launched in Spring 2024, the PAYA Resource Library is a searchable database of over 200 toolkits, best practices, case studies, and other resources from the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship’s network of partners across the country.

Whether you’re just learning about youth apprenticeships or are a seasoned pro, you’ll discover something useful to launch, expand, or improve a youth apprenticeship program.

Browse All Library Resources

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