New America Launches Multi-Year, Multi-Stakeholder Initiative to Expand Youth Apprenticeship

Washington, D.C., October 26, 2018 — Today, New America and leading organizations from the education, workforce and policy sectors announced the launch of the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship (PAYA), 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. Led by the Center on Education & Skills at New America, the Partnership includes Advance CTE, CareerWise Colorado, Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship Program, Education Strategy Group, JFF, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and the National Governors Association.

Youth apprenticeship is a strategy for building a more inclusive economy and repairing the increasingly fragile link between American education and economic mobility. High-quality youth apprenticeship connects student learning and job preparation with the talent needs of industry, reduces the student debt burden, and ultimately bridges the gaps between high school, college, and well-paying jobs.

Recognizing this potential, PAYA has been formed to improve public understanding of youth apprenticeship, to generate and disseminate better information about what is necessary for its success, and to support innovative organizations working to develop high-quality programs that can be scaled and replicated to serve students, employers, and communities alike. Over the next four years, PAYA will convene experts and partners, support a community of practitioners, publish research, and provide grants and direct assistance to promising youth apprenticeship programs in cities and states across the U.S.

“Shoring up the link between education, economic opportunity, and social mobility is critical for renewing the American promise. Youth apprenticeship is a time-tested model perfectly-suited for employers who need skilled workers and young people who need affordable pathways through college and the skills, experience, and networks that come with a real job,” said Anne-Marie Slaughter, president and CEO of New America. “The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship is a brilliant combination of thinking, action, and broad-based partnership; New America is delighted to help build a network of innovators committed to bringing the many benefits of youth apprenticeship to communities across the country.”

Youth apprenticeship links the education and training needs of youth with the talent demands of employers, through mutually beneficial partnerships across schools, industry and communities. Through these partnerships, students complete high school, start their postsecondary education at no cost, get paid work experience alongside a mentor, and start along a path that broadens their options for the future.

For employers, youth apprenticeship is a cost-effective talent strategy, as apprentices build skills to meet evolving business needs and develop into valued contributors to their bottom line.

“The apprentices at HomeAdvisor have fundamentally changed how we think about talent acquisition and productivity,” said Chris Terrill, CEO of Home Advisor. “We are blown away by the quality of the work from our apprentices and their valuable contributions. Rarely have I seen a program that is ROI positive, helps build much needed internal talent, and materially benefits America’s youth — all at a time when technology is fundamentally disrupting the landscape of education and training as we know it.”

PAYA has been made possible by generous support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ballmer Group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Joyce Foundation, JP Morgan Chase & Co., and the Siemens Foundation.

To learn more about PAYA and how youth apprenticeship can unlock opportunity for both young people and employers, visit newamerica.org/paya and stay connected to the initiative’s progress following the #PAYA hashtag.