This week is the first Youth Apprenticeship Week — inspired by the similar National Apprenticeship Week — which aims to highlight the opportunities available to workers ages 16-24 outside the typical high-school-to-college pathway.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, the event focuses on registered apprenticeships, which have seen some minor upheaval in recent years amid proposed rulemaking by the Biden administration. The White House has also sought to expand access to registered apprenticeships and encourage employers to adopt apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships are still outside the mainstream in the U.S. but have received heightened attention in recent years as a way to fill talent gaps and build pipelines, especially in industries that struggle to receive interest from younger workers.
For examples — and the latest on apprenticeship rulemaking — read on.