Application Now Open for The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship Grant Initiative

Blog Post
Jan. 16, 2019

The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA) believes that youth apprenticeship should be a widely accessible option for young people to gain the foundational skills, experience, and credentials they need to thrive in a rapidly changing economy. To support states, cities, and regions working to make this vision a reality, PAYA is pleased to invite applications for the PAYA Grant initiative.

The PAYA Grant Initiative will award 4-8 grants (up to approx. $200,000 each) to support partnerships of employers, education institutions, community partners, and policy leaders who are working together to build high-quality youth apprenticeship programs to meet local economic need. The grants will support partnerships in designing and implementing strategies to:

  • launch, expand and strengthen youth apprenticeship programs aligned to the Principles for High-Quality Youth Apprenticeship;
  • advance policy and system alignment to mainstream youth apprenticeship; and,
  • improve understanding and awareness of youth apprenticeship to lay a foundation for sustainable expansion.

To accelerate this work, grantees will also receive technical assistance from the PAYA National Partners and will engage as a cohort in cross-site learning activities. Together, the grantee cohort will form a visible national community of innovators at the forefront of the movement to expand participation in high-quality youth apprenticeship programs that produce equitable outcomes for students, employers, and communities.

We encourage ambitious proposals from local, state, and regional partnerships from geographies both large and small, including towns and rural areas. Competitive partnerships will have leadership and support from a wide range of sectors, including K-12 and post-secondary institutions, government bodies, and local and regional businesses, and will be deep into considering youth apprenticeship as a strategy for promoting a more inclusive local or regional economy.

We invite interested applicants to review the PAYA Grants Initiative application and consult the PAYA Grants FAQ document for additional information about eligibility, grant activities, and the selection process. Applicants must be submitted through the online portal by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Friday, March 8, 2019. Grantees will be announced in early May 2019.

On behalf of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship, we very much look forward to reviewing your applications and learning both about and from your work.

Want more information about the PAYA Grant Initiative? Visit the PAYA Grants Application and the PAYA Grants FAQs for more details. You can also watch a recording of the PAYA Grants Informational Webinar to learn more about the application and selection process. The webinar will take place on Thursday, January 24th at 4 PM (EST).

To learn more about the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship and its partners, please visit newamerica.org/paya.

Led by New America, the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship is a multi-year initiative that will support efforts in states and cities to expand access to high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for high school age youth by:

  • Improving public awareness of high-quality youth apprenticeship programs and advancing understanding of how well such programs serve students, employers, and communities.
  • Disseminating better information about the conditions and strategies necessary for success and sustainability of youth apprenticeship partnerships.
  • Supporting more high-quality, scalable youth apprenticeship partnerships that better serve participating employers, students, and communities.

The following organizations serve as New America’s National Partners in the The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship:

None

Thank you to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ballmer Group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Joyce Foundation, JP Morgan Chase & Co. and the Siemens Foundation for their generous support of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship.

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Related Topics
Apprenticeship Youth Apprenticeship