ApprenticeshipNC awarded grant to expand youth apprenticeship pathways
RALEIGH, N.C. – ApprenticeshipNC has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship to expand work-based learning opportunities for North Carolina youths.
ApprenticeshipNC, which is operated by the NC Community College System, is one of nine grant winners selected from more than 220 applicants from 49 states and Puerto Rico.
Youth apprenticeship links the education and training needs of young people with the talent demands of employers, through mutually beneficial partnerships across schools, industry and communities. Through these partnerships, students finish high school, start their postsecondary education at little to no cost, complete paid work experience alongside a mentor, and begin a journey that broadens their future career options.
ApprenticeshipNC will use the grant to increase the number and diversity of youth apprenticeships across the state. Many of the youth apprenticeships developed to date have focused on the advanced manufacturing sector. The grant will assist ApprenticeshipNC with expansion into other industries, such as financial services, agribusiness, and hospitality and tourism.
“We’ve grown the number of youth apprentices from 750 to 2,500 in the past two years, but we still have much to do to scale and diversify youth apprenticeship programming in the state,” said Peter Hans, president of the NC Community College System. “This grant will help us get closer to our goal of establishing apprenticeship programs in all 100 counties and creating more work-based learning opportunities that benefit North Carolina students and employers.”
ApprenticeshipNC also will partner with the North Carolina Business Committee for Education to collect and manage data in the western, Piedmont and eastern regions of the state. This data will include sponsor registrations for NCBCE’s online Navigator tool, which connects students and teachers to work-based learning opportunities. NCBCE operates out of the Governor’s Office.
“Apprenticeships can help young people get on the right track for success and help businesses groom potential employees,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “The Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship grant will help connect North Carolina students with hands-on training and professional development they need to thrive in the workforce.”
The grant funding will support strategy development and implementation activities over a 17-month period, beginning immediately. In addition to the funds, PAYA will provide ApprenticeshipNC with tailored technical assistance from PAYA’s National Partners, cross-site learning, and opportunities to participate in national research, communications and storytelling efforts.
ApprenticeshipNC will also join the newly formed PAYA Network, a learning community designed to link dynamic partnerships working to launch, expand and improve apprenticeship opportunities for high school-aged youth.
For more information on ApprenticeshipNC, please visit https://www.apprenticeshipnc.com.
About the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship
Created by Washington, D.C.-based New America, the Partnership to Advance Youth Apprenticeship is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to assist innovative organizations around the country in developing robust youth apprenticeship programs that are scaled and replicated to serve students, employers and communities alike. PAYA is comprised of eight National Partner organizations: Advance CTE, CareerWise Colorado, Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship, Education Strategy Group, JFF, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions and the National Governors Association. PAYA is supported by funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Ballmer Group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Joyce Foundation, JP Morgan Chase & Co. and the Siemens Foundation. Learn more at newamerica.org/paya.
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