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The Youth Apprenticeship Program offers high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to see direct connections between school learning and employment while working in their occupational field of interest. The objectives of the program are for participating students to:
- Discover the relevance of academic course work to specific work experiences
- Develop a broad knowledge of the educational requirements, career pathways, and job responsibilities within a specific occupational area
- Develop technical and high-performance work skills
- Plan and execute a long-term project and present findings in a public setting
How It Works
Youth apprentices leave school for part of the day and typically work between 10 and 20 hours
per week. Apprentices are employees who are paid a wage during the on-the-job portion of
their training. They rotate through a series of placements within one of five career areas:
Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Hospitality Management, Food Retail Management,
Business/Information Systems, or Health Care. In each placement, apprentices are directed by
one or more coaches who teach and supervise them. Youth apprentices may earn up to five Regents
credits over two years, and may continue in the program through the first two years of college.
Their learning objectives are listed in technical competencies groupings which serve both as a plan for what they will learn and a record of what they have learned. All technical competencies are aligned with the NY State Learning Standards for Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) and the National Skill Standards (where applicable).
Student Selection Process
Youth apprenticeship is potentially appropriate for students at any level. The selection
process begins with a review of tenth grade students' school records and requires that
applicants submit a 10-part application package and meet the following selection criteria:
- Passing academic courses
- Strong interest in the occupational area of the apprenticeship
- Commitment to make time for the apprenticeship
- Dependability and responsibility demonstrated in attendance records
- Commitment to provide their own transportation